Prince Hiccup, the Bachelor
by BlueberryToasterTart
Summary: Hiccup is a prince of the seaside kingdom of Berk, and is notorious for his frivolous and devious lifestyle, that is coming to a screeching halt with the Matrimonial Congregation, the assembly from which Hiccup will pick his future wife. But he's less than excited. Astrid is a resentful but obedient servant girl in the castle, but both of theirs lives get tossed by the other.
1. Chapter 1

A/N - This is an Royal Hiccup AU. Warning - Jerk Hiccup incoming. I'm pumped. Are you pumped? The title is subject to change when I think of a better one. This chapter won't be as long as others because my internet at home is SHIT going through menopause, so I'm at my man's house and using his internet. So I have limited time. I had this chapter longer, but I want each chapter to be as good as I can get it, and not half-done.

I would also like apologize for the amount of back-story in this first chapter. I tried to tone it down, but, whatevs.

Okay - I've noticed that when I've got more than one story going, neither of them is at their full potential. I'm trying to fix that. However, because of that, this story might not get updated as frequently as A Change of Scenery. Just a warning.

X

Chapter 1: Prince Hiccup, Berk's Number One Bachelor

The clouds were sweet, golden and pink, and not cold at all. Hiccup could reach out and touch them, feel their silk on his skin, like sunlight woven into thread. He floated through the endless cloud kingdom, pillars rising into the bright heavens, forever reaching upwards. A thunderclap rolled, knocking down the pillars like playing cards. Thunder beat against the clouds and they all came tumbling down.

"Hiccup!"

Hiccup woke with a start and jumped into a sitting position, skewing the silk sheets outward. This motion jarred his stomach and wracked his brain, sending waves of nausea hammering through his limbs, and an unpleasant gurgling up from his gut. He groaned as the insurgence began to unwind itself. He came out of the dream abruptly as the pain subsided and the cloud-world was replaced by his four-poster bed. The curtains were drawn the room on the other side was still dark.

"Hiccup!" his father, Stoick, was beating on the bedroom door.

"It's not locked," Hiccup called as he collapsed back into the sheets, pulling them over his head.

The beating stopped, followed by a short pause, that ended as the door swung open swung and heavy footsteps thundered into his bedroom, muffled only slight by the rug.

"Hiccup, this is no time for your lollygagging," his father roared on the other side of the curtain.

Hiccup heard a swoosh and the bright sunlight that followed stung. Stoick stalked around the bed, to the other window, and repeated the action. The curtains on the bed were next.

"It is a lovely day outside and you are wasting in bed! It's already passed midday!" Stoick roared.

Hiccup, sighing, sat up and tossed the sheets.

"It's a disgrace to waste the day," Stoick thundered, looking out of the newly-opened window, "The first fine day of spring and here you are, sleeping, and where are your pajamas?"

"Hm?" Hiccup glanced down. Not only was he not wearing his pajamas, he wasn't wearing anything, luckily he hadn't thrown the sheets far enough to embarrass himself. He brought a hand up to his bare chest, "I don't know,"

"How can you not know?" Stoick roared, throwing his large hands into the air. "_Gah_, I don't know what I'm going to do with you! You're twenty years old, Hiccup, far old enough to stop acting like a child. You're too old to need a nursemaid following you around. You can't keep acting like this."

"Like what, now?" Hiccup yawned.

"Like a child!" Stoick spat. "Drinking every night, half the time too drunk to stand up. It's a disgrace to have my son sloshing home at dawn and I'm sick of hearing about these…whores that you find, it's not fitting for a prince! It's not fitting for any young man with self-respect!"

Hiccup shrugged underneath his father's narrowed, disappointed glare.

"You need to grow up, Son." Stoick said, his tone changing.

Hiccup froze, his ears perked, because he knew that change of tone. Something was about to follow t familiar his lecture, something that his father knew that his son wouldn't like to hear. He braced himself, tightening his fists in the sheets. Stoick sighed, and clapped his large hands together, and said nothing at first.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Son, you're a grown man, and it's high time that you married."

"What?" Hiccup almost got up to defend himself, however he remembered his nakedness.

"I've already spoken to the council this morning, and you mother and I both agree, that it is high time for you to settle down and stop this childish nonsense."

Hiccup choked on his words, an unfriendly gurgling unsettling in his stomach, "What? You just decided that for me?"

"Yes." Stoick huffed. "Someone had to, you can't seem to make them on your own!"

"No. I don't want to." Hiccup shook his head, gently, as to not disrupt his hangover.

"I've already sent out the invitations to the noble houses." Stoick said, matter-of-factly, dismissing the argument. "The traditional Matrimonial Congregation will be assembled by this time next week."

Hiccup rubbed his face, groaning audibly, making his unhappiness known.

"It doesn't matter, Son. I've sent the order." Stoick stomped his foot, his fists clenched, "Now get up, you've already missed lunch. You are a prince, not a derelict, so start acting like it."

And just like that, his father stormed away just as violently as he'd come, thundering all the way, and shaking the frontal lobe in Hiccup's brain with each footfall. The bedroom door slammed and his footsteps echoed in the hallway. Hiccup was left in his sunlit room with only the silk sheets to comfort him, and the banging throb working against his stomach.

Marriage. He wasn't anywhere damn close to wanting to get married. He enjoyed feminine company, sure, but then he wanted them to go away. Marriage meant that she would be there, _all the time_, and there would be no getting away from her.

Regretfully, he threw the sheets off of himself and trotted to the private bath adjoined to his bedroom. Shouldn't he have someone else to ready his bathwater? It was so tedious.

While the water warmed and the tub filled, Hiccup examined his boney, freckled reflection in the large mirror. His pathetic muscle mass clung tight to his arms, compact he always told girls. His wiry limbs held little muscle, but what use did he have for them when he had a staff of men to carry or life things? Princes hadn't the need for muscles. His brown hair never did anything he wanted, but he'd grew to not care about it.

Where _had_ his pajamas gone? Had he put them on? He couldn't remember. But…_why_ was he so hung-over? He scratched his brain, remembering Snotlout, the twins, and…oh, right, it was Snotlout's birthday, the big one-nine. Hiccup laughed, the night coming back to him. They started drinking before they'd even left the castle, and by the time Hiccup had that brunette on his lap, the room swayed violently, in a good way.

The mirror steame , and Hiccup threw in some of that odd soap-salt that his mother felt so compelled to stock in every bathroom. Whatever. It gave her something to fuss over that wasn't him.

Hiccup was the only son of Stoick the Vast, who ruled the seaside kingdom of Berk with little tolerance for crime or nonsense. He was large and feared, but well respected by his people. Hiccup, on the other hand, was pawned over by the gossip crowds that thrived on his, as his mother said, _excursions_. He had read the feverish articles of himself, he'd even kept a few of the good ones, that displayed him as some kind of fiendish devil-boy who preys on young women, like some vampire. Comical.

Other than that, Hiccup had few complaints. However, now he had the dreaded the Matrimonial Congregation to worry about. It was such a stupid tradition. But, it was law, and Hiccup had little say in the matter, unless he somehow magically became King in the next week, which wouldn't mean the council would let him change laws.

The Matrimonial Congregation was a kingdom-wide celebration, and pried upon like maggots on rotten meat. It gave the kingdom folk another chance to fret and gossip over the royal family and pretend that their affairs were public fair. It was because Hiccup was the prince, that his future wife was carefully selected, typically by the king and the council, with heavy influences by nobles and coin.

The tradition went that the eligible girls of marrying age would be plucked from the kingdom, daughters of wealthy men, important public figures, and friends of the court. Hiccup would be shoved into the midst of the flock, to pick and choose, and fought over. In theory, being followed around by more women that he had fingers was a dream. Beautiful women would be pawing at him, begging for his attention, yearning for their chance to become queen, and trying to scratch each other's eyes out in the process.

_That_ sounded like a vacation, but it wasn't the women that Hiccup dreaded. It was the entire marriage idea that set him off. He didn't _want_ to.

Just wait until he told Snotlout about the congregation. He'll be envious enough to burst into flames. But, even though Snotlout wasn't a prince, he was Hiccup's first cousin, and still royal, and would go through his own congregation eventually, just a smaller, less extravagant one with lower standards.

Hiccup scratched his hair, raking his nails along his scalp, and let his frustration out in a groan. His reflection blurred in the steam, a fleshy blob. He stepped into the hot water and sank down into the tub. His hand slipped to his groin and worked its way to the wake-up pleasure.

X

Okay, that's chapter 1. Leave me a review and tell me what you think. I'll try to update as soon as possible, or at least have the next chapter prepared so that I can update it next Sunday.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N - Someone came and fixed our internet today! Whoo! So, this chapter was supposed to be part of Chapter 1, but I ran out of time, so I made it a separate chapter. Things start happening! Yay!

P.S. Don't forget to leave me a review to let me know that you enjoy this story, or that you're not, or whatever. Reviews make me happy.

X

Chapter 2: Astrid, Servant to the Castle

The king's massive house operated much like a small community. The castle upkeep was the responsibility of the hundreds of servants that cleaned, stocked, and cooked. There was no finer managed group in the kingdom. Gobber, advisor and right hand of the king, looked over the staff with a hawk's eye and a snake's reflexes.

The servant quarters adjoined the castle, although they were not anywhere as extravagant or polished, with the laundry below them and the kitchens beside. It was not an idea life, however it was better than begging on the streets. At least, that is what Astrid's mother said every morning over their meager rations. She could already smell the grainy soup bubbling over the fire and Astrid pulled the sheets tighter around herself. Maybe, just maybe, she could hold of the day a couple minutes longer.

"Get up, girl," Ingrid Hofferson said as she marched around the thin, clothing-draped partition that separated the bedding from the kitchen. Her sharp mother's hand came down on her daughter's rear end. Not hard, but hard enough.

Astrid mumbled an unintelligibly whine.

"Stop your dreaming," Ingrid roused, "There's too much work to be done, it's bedclothes day,"

Astrid groaned louder.

"Get up and eat, while it's hot,"

Astrid couldn't hold it off any longer. She wormed her way out of the bed and worked her nails along her scalp. She wiggled her bed-hair out of its frayed braid and redid it quickly. A bowl of the slop her mother had made appeared in front of her and she did her best to gulp it down. It tasted much like it smelled, like dandelions and oats that someone had dropped in the mud.

"Get dressed before someone walks in," Ingrid snapped, waving a dishrag.

Astrid drank the rest of the bowl's contents as she slowly stood. There was little time to fret about how she looked, which was the reason for her hair's typical chaos. That night she'd been exhausted and had slept in nothing but a tunic, not caring if her parents witnessed her underwear. They'd seen her naked before, so whatever.

Astrid worked with her mother in the laundry room. She didn't envy those who had to wander the castle's many corridors and gather up all the bed sheets. Although, there were days when she would. Not today, however, because she was sure she could catch a nap in the corner while the sheets dried on the line.

By ten, the dirty sheets stacked past Astrid's height in a corner, and the water heated and soap dumped. Astrid sat at the washboard and worked the sheets along the rivets. Her mother sat at her own and together they would wash every sheet and by nightfall they would be hanging to dry.

Astrid wiped the beading sweat from her brow. It ran down her scalp and her neck and soaked into her collar. She rested her arms from the washing and glanced at the window, opened to vent the air, at the puffy white clouds that gently rolled above the castle. The grounds would be filled with the lucky, the entitled, those whose sheets Astrid washed, riding horses or playing with their fake swords.

What difference separated her and them? A matter of birth? Why did they get to frolic and play while Astrid worked her hands red? Who decided to whom Astrid was born? A matter of a womb?

"Stop that daydreaming," Ingrid warned.

"It's too hot in here," Astrid sighed. When she was younger, her mother would let her strip down to the bare essentials, but that had come to an end with the _gifts_ of womanhood.

"Sheets won't get washed in cold water," Ingrid said as she pulled the sheet out of the water and squeezed the water out, preparing it for the wringer.

Maybe it was all daydreaming. Servitude was all that she had known and she couldn't help but wonder about the entire kingdom on the other side of the castle wall.

"Ma," Astrid said, mulling over her words, wanting to choose them carefully.

"Hm?"

"Do you still talk to your brother?"

The washing stopped abruptly. Ingrid's eyes snapped at her daughter. "Why would you ask that?"

"I was just wondering,"

"He's a lowlife, girl," Ingrid said quickly.

"But,"

"No 'buts,'" Ingrid interrupted, "I know what you are thinking, it's nothing that I haven't thought about, but I can guarantee that there is no life out there that's better than what you've got here,"

"You don't know that,"

"Yes, I do, I've been out there, I've seen the horrible things that poor girls like you have to do to survive." Ingrid huffed. "You can't just walk away from a job like this,"

"You can't force me to stay here." Astrid said quietly. She was eighteen. She could leave if she wanted.

"I can do my best," Ingrid shook her shoulders. Her face softened, "Listen to me, Astrid, I've been out there. If it wasn't you're your father's brother I would be out there with the other girls, selling myself to eat, and I'd rather kill you myself than see you out there."

Astrid fingered a frayed edge of a sheet. It would have to be mended.

"Baby girl, I don't mean that you're not good enough for anything else," Ingrid said, her tone softened. "No one is too good for anything, but the hard truth of the matter is that we were born on the lower rungs and there is nothing we can do about it. My father used to say the lower on the ladder you are in this life, the higher you'll be in the next."

Astrid held her tongue. She didn't want to argue about this. She knew her mother was right, to an extent, but it didn't quench her wanderlust.

"And, if you did leave, there's no guarantee your job would be here when you got back, and you would, too, crawling back, filthy and starved." Ingrid pointed a soapy finger at her. "The only thing you'll find out there is disappointment and heartbreak.

"Yes, Ma," Astrid sighed as she resumed her washing. Her mother ran the clean sheets through the wringer and hung them on the lines.

"This is a good thing we've got here," Ingrid said after a pause, as if to herself as well, "We've got a sturdy roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and a warm place to sleep every night, without fear of thieves or murders."

"Yes, Ma,"

"Losing this job isn't worth the risk of not finding another one."

"I know," Astrid sighed.

By noon, hanging wet sheets sliced the room into tiny pieces. The linen from the day before needed to be taken down, and taken up to the linen closet in the castle. Astrid and her mother folded them, for some were much too big for just two hands, and stacked them neatly into a basket.

Astrid heaved the full basket to her hip and started up to the castle. The servant's quarters connected to the castle by a single corridor that had seen better days. Astrid passed a few of the cooks that pushed a tray, a mid-morning snack for someone, that had undoubtedly been more luxurious than anything she'd ever eaten.

Once, she's snuck a leftover plate from the king's dinner. It would have been thrown away anyway, and she had been hungry. It had been a while since then, but it had been the most delicious meal she'd ever tasted. But, that was how it was. The royals basted in their comfortable pleasure while the servants slaved and toiled to keep their perfect lifestyle.

Astrid tugged the basket up a set of stairs and refused to let the weight show on her face or in her arms. She passed a few other servants and maids who were too busy, either working or gossiping, to bother a proper greeting, so they settled on a simple nod of the head and eye contact.

Astrid marched to the linen closet and balanced the basket on her hip to open the door. Inside, she gladly set the basket down. Groaning, she stretched the strained muscles of her back. The linen closet was bigger than her family's entire living quarters. With a sigh, she began to restock the linens.

She heard the muffled speech, but paid no mind until she could make out the words.

"…let me have a few, right? You know I've got a thing for blondes,"

Laughter. "Maybe, but you know she'll be seconds by the time she gets to you,"

"Not if I get to her first, I mean, come on. Bitches can't say no to this charm."

Laughter.

Astrid scowled. She knew those voices, the leisurely footsteps that accompanied, and the pompous air that flew just before they passed in front of the closet's doorway. It was the darling prince, Hiccup, and his sleazy lapdog of a cousin, Snotlout. They both had egos bigger than the castle and were just as oblivious.

"What?" Snotlout was saying. "You don't think I can swoon one before you? I accept that challenge."

"Swoon?" Hiccup laughed. "You can _swoon_ all you want, but these girls are coming to me, not you."

Girls? Astrid hesitated as the two boys passed. As their footsteps subsided, she didn't care anymore, and resumed her work. They were probably talking of their drunken, rampage of an escapade the previous evening. The entire castle knew. The darling prince had once again made a complete fool of himself in a public place. Nothing new.

Astrid had seen how he looked at women, like things, like trophies to show off, like victories to be flaunted. Jerk.

Soon the basket was empty and Astrid trotted back toward the laundry room for another load.

X

Hiccup felt better with food in his stomach. After he'd told Snotlout the good news and watched him drool over it, Hiccup stopped by the lounge for a much needed cup of coffee. A maid, kneeling on the floor, polished a bust of his great-grandfather as he walked inside. She jumped at the swish of the door and watched him over her shoulder.

"Coffee," Hiccup pointed to himself as he plopped into a chair by the open window. A cool breeze fluttered in.

"Yes, sir," the maid swallowed and set the polish rag down as if it might shatter. She skirted through the door with quick steps.

Hiccup leaned back in the chair. The breeze felt nice.

"Your coffee, sir,"

Hiccup jumped. He must have dozed off, when he opened his eyes the maid stood in front of him, steaming cup in her hands. He took it and inhaled the fumes. Even the smell was enough to break the stalemate between his headache and the painkillers. He sipped it slowly as the maid shuffled back to the bust and resumed her polishing.

Her hands were big for a girl's. Her baggy, shapeless servant's clothes hung off of her chest, which didn't fill the front, and draped over her flat bottom. Her dirty hair fell in strings around her plain face. Altogether, she was too skinny.

Hiccup smirked.

"Yes, sir?"

"Nothing," Hiccup waved away her attention and shifted in the chair so that she was out of his direct view.

_Altogether too skinny_. Like he was one to talk. He didn't want to know what girls thought about him. It was nothing that couldn't be overcome by his birthright. Sure he was skinny, lanky, and felt more like a banister than a man, but a _prince_. How often did girls get the chance to fuck a prince?

"Hiccup,"

He audibly groaned, turning his neck painfully to see the abominable figure of his mother standing in the doorway to the lounge. Her arms poised at her sides and it was hard to tell which was thicker, her dress or her frighteningly yellow hair. Her meticulously painted face was squinted into an angry disappointment.

"Yes, Mother?" Hiccup asked dryly.

She harrumphed, and waved away the maid, "That's enough, Melissa,"

"Yes, Ma'am," she bowed herself out of the room.

"I half expected to walk in and see something I'd rather not," she huffed. "Once in a lifetime is quite more than enough for me,"

"That was one time," Hiccup sighed and sipped his coffee. It had been once that his mother knew of, but he'd gotten much better at hiding his more…explicit activities in the past several years. Especially after his mother had walked in after he'd finally convinced the busty maid from the library to use her mouth between his legs.

Hiccup's mother took a seat across the room and fixed her brown eyes on him.

"Did you need something?" Hiccup asked.

"Well, dear, since your father told you about the upcoming Matrimonial Congregation, I decided that it was time to have my own chat with you." She tried to smile but her lips forever curved downward.

Hiccup groaned into his coffee.

His mother cleared her throat, folded her hands in her lap, and overly pronounced her words, "I want you to know what it is to be a good wife, what that means, and what is not a good wife."

"Oh, look at that, I'm out of coffee," Hiccup said, staring into the portion still in the cup. He swung his legs to the floor and trotted toward the door. Unfortunately, his mother followed.

"A good wife is presentable, at all times, no matter how she _feels_." She spoke as they turned into the wide corridor. A male servant had been dusting the frame of a large painting, but at the sight of the Queen and Hiccup, he stood, and bowed until they had passed.

"Right," Hiccup sighed. If he ran, he could probably lose her in these halls. She couldn't run after him in those horrible shoes.

"A good wife is synonymous with a good woman," she said pointedly, "Do you know what that means?"

"I don't really care-"

"It means," she talked over him, "That she is above the common chatter, the riffraff, and knows the important of presentation, of appearances, and how to act with natural grace, delicate poise, and composure. She is a woman to be idolized."

"That's interesting," Hiccup said flatly.

"A bad wife scowls," she said, pointed to her forcibly bent lips. "A good wife is always pleasant. A bad wife yells, and lets her selfish intentions get in the way of the good of the kingdom. A good wife, such as a good queen, supports her husband, his ideals, even if she doesn't agree with them, but she must keep those thoughts to herself. She is the Queen, the support beam, because behind every good husband there is a good wife."

"Uh-huh," Hiccup mumbled. "I'll keep this in mind so I won't let my husband down."

His mother scowled at him, and he almost pointed it out, but held his tongue.

"Now, finding a good wife is the difficult part. Don't worry, I won't let you marry a bad wife. There are more bad than good, unfortunately," she said as she straightened a wrinkle in her dress. "A good woman listens, speaks when spoken to, and obeys, and is honest, but delicate with words, and always pleasant, much like a good wife. But, you must act like a gentleman to these ladies, dear, even if that isn't your _natural_ self."

Hiccup rolled his eyes, but it did not deter her speech. He spotted a narrow hallway, a short cut to his freedom, and as it came within a short sprint, he ran for it.

"And you can expect," she sputtered and stomped, "Hiccup! Come back here!"

He skirted around the corner, his freedom within reach, his mind thinking of a day outside, in the sunshine, when it all came crashing to the floor, literally. He had run into something that bounced off of his chest. He fell backward and managed to catch himself and lessen the fall. He had just enough time to see the laundry basket, along with the servant girl who'd been carrying it, crash to the floor, landing with a thump and a yelp.

X


	3. Chapter 3

A/N Alright, Chapter 3, on time, too! I'm really enjoying Jerkcup and I hope you are too.

X

Chapter 3: Who do you think you are?

Astrid heaved the freshly filled laundry basket into her arms.

"Don't toddle," her mother warned, elbow deep in the hot water, scrubbing a stain, "We've got plenty more to do,"

Astrid sighed as she started back up toward the castle. She was glad to leave the hot humidity of the laundry room behind. The cool air of the fine spring afternoon pushed through the open corridor. If only she could linger, just for a moment, to appreciate the breeze. But no, there were too many things to be done.

Astrid's steps resounded in the quiet castle, alive only with mumbling voices that carried from who knows where, bouncing off the stone and embedding into the tapestries and carpet. She paused to shift the basket and gazed up at the watchful eyes of some important, invaluable king, who surely did something great at some point, or else he wouldn't have a massive painting of himself. Narcissist prick.

She retook her trek to the linen closet, turned into the narrow hall that lead between corridors, and sighed to tune out of the voices on the other side. In such a big castle, was it too much to ask to complete a task without passing anyone? Astrid sighed, closing her eyes for just a moment, long enough to breath out her frustration and replace them with temporary relief, but in that short moment, something slammed into the basket, which pushed it into her, and sent her careening backwards, linens scattering.

The floor rammed into her back and the impact pushed the air from her lungs. She saw just enough to see that it had been a person, not a thing, which pushed her.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Astrid coughed as she pushed herself up. "Don't you…"

A hand tightly squeezed her chest, pushing the air right back out again, as her eyes settled on her interloper. He'd fallen, too, and looked confused and surprised, but there was no mistaking his face. It was the prince. _Of course_, it just had to be him. The gods must love her. She waited for his fury, but it paused, and she didn't wait for it to erupt.

"I-I'm sorry," Astrid said quickly. Her face blanched and she fumbled to gather the linens as quickly as possible. She would refold them later. She kept her eyes downcast.

She'd _yelled_ at him. She'd _cursed_ at him.

"Sorry," he mumbled. He gathered himself, and to her surprise, picked up the laundry basket and set it right side up.

His odd action caused a pause in hers, in which his overdressed mother to huff around the corner, her cheeks red, her lips pursed, her hair gently falling from its elaborate updo.

"What is this?" the queen squawked, motioning to the laundry in quick motions, "Skirting your chores? These are all wrinkled! This is not acceptable! Wash them again!"

Astrid had barely climbed to her feet when the queen's hand met her cheek, hard enough to send her back a step, the smack resounding in the hall. Astrid's hand raced to her stinging face and quickly backed out of the queen's range. She glared down at Astrid with angry brown eyes, alit with fire, ready to hand down the death sentence.

"I am sorry," Astrid pleaded, averting her eyes.

"I will not tolerate this sort of impudence in my castle." the Queen snarled.

"I am sorry," Astrid said, quickly falling to her knees in front her, just as she'd seen others do. Just pay her the respect she think she deserves, and let it go.

"Do not let it happen again,"

"Yes, Ma'am," Astrid nodded, eyes shut tight. The queen's shoes clicked-clicked away and Astrid waited a few moments, let them fade down the hall, to let her chest lighten. She chanced a glance upward.

Hiccup still stood there, looking like a slack-jawed fool. He was leaning against the wall and staring at her. Did he even realize that this had entirely been his fault? Odds are, he had no idea, the selfish idiot. Astrid waited, but he didn't move. He just…stood there. She ignored him and began to gather the linens. Like hell she'd take them back down to her mother to be rewashed. She tossed them all into the pile and yanked it back into the air, standing with a huff, and he was still there. She dared to glare at him.

"Yes, sir?" Astrid spat.

Hiccup blinked, giving his head a quick shake, and his expression changed entirely. His confusion reverted to his everyday cocky smirk, he blinked and stepped back into the corridor that he'd come from. Astrid hesitated before stepping out into the hall. What the hell was that about?

She pushed it from her mind and continued on to the closet, but took the long way, just in case the Queen waiting around some corner. Astrid wouldn't put it past her. This way, she could walk off the furiousness. By the time she rounded the corner into the linen corridor her anger had subsided, however it was quickly reignited, as someone else stood in the closet's doorway.

Prince Hiccup. What the hell was he doing? He stared into the closet like he'd never seen linens before. Of course, he's probably never even wondered where the clean laundry came from. To him and his magical little world, the sheets never got dirty and things never got dusty. He probably didn't even know what dirt or dust meant.

Hiccup turned and his green eyes met her gaze with an unreadable expression. He stepped out of the closet and held the door open, bowing slightly and motioning her inside, a sly smile on his lips. Astrid didn't move. She trusted the prince about as much as he weighed. Not a lot.

Inhaling, puffing her shoulders out, gripping the basket, she cautiously stepped to the closet. She kept her attention on him, his movements, prepared to knock him out if she had to. She could bury his body in the linens and be halfway to the Shivering Shores before anyone found him. She set the basket down and pulled a tangled linen out to refold it. She patted the wrinkles out. The Queen could deal with it. She had folded several when she chanced a glance over her shoulder. Hiccup was still there.

"Do you need something? _Sir_?"

He didn't answer immediately. He inhaled, "Uh…nope. I'm good."

Astrid glared. He stood there, content, haphazardly leaning against the door. He looked a lot like his father, but it was hard to see his mother in his features. He had his father's red hair, closer to the brown side, and his eyes were the same bright green that Astrid had seen in the painting of Stoick the Vast in the main hall. Of course, Hiccup equaled a quarter of his father's size, barely the width of his arm. His smile was crocked, but not outwardly unpleasant, it was his personality that did it. Rude. Brash. Arrogant. Entitled.

Astrid snapped back to her laundry.

"So…you got a name?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid huffed, "Yes."

"…Can I know what it is?" The humor dripped from his words.

"I supposed you may," Astrid sighed. She hastily folded. She put away. Then, the basket was empty.

"Will you tell me what it is?"

Astrid reached down and heaved the empty basket to her hips. Hiccup had moved so that he blocked the door, arm outstretched to the doorframe. She narrowed her glare. Yeah, she could take him.

"Tell me your name and I'll move," he shrugged casually.

"Astrid." she answered flatly.

"Astrid," Hiccup repeated. He smirked, "You know, Astrid, you should be cleaning my room instead of doing the laundry."

Astrid bit down on her tongue to hold it still. What? _What_?

Speaking out against him, again, would be another strike against her, and she didn't need that. He paused in the doorway and she considered hitting him with the basket. It wouldn't hurt, much, and it would at least free some of her angry.

She slowly exhaled, "Will you move, please? _Sir_?"

Hiccup's grin faltered, vanished, replaced by the sneer that she had seen on his father a few times, but couldn't distinguish its meaning any better on his son. Hiccup blinked at her, backed up, and let the door fall closed behind her. She quickly made her way down the hall, away from him, and didn't bother looking back.

"My room is a lot more exciting than the laundry," Hiccup called after her. "I can guarantee that."

She rounded the first hall she saw and stayed there, pressing her back against the wall, gripping the basket too tight. What the hell was that? What was wrong with him?

"…bastard." Astrid cursed under her breath, well out of his hearing.

She huffed back down to the laundry room. She fuming as she entered the laundry room and slammed the basket on the floor.

"Calm down, girl," her mother roared. "What's wrong with you?"

"Who the hell does he think he is?" Astrid exploded. "Just because he's a prince he thinks that makes him so entitled that he can just do whatever the hell he wants?"

Ingrid blinked at her. She added quickly, her words hushed, "Did he do something to you? Did he touch you?"

Astrid let out a frustrated growl. Her mother's eyes burned. Astrid began to pace, recounting the series of wrongs that morning, first the Queen, then the Prince. She finished and collapsed into the old armchair by the door.

Ingrid looked less than worried as she let out a long sigh. "I'm sorry it happened like that, but that's the way it is. I know that boy is no gentleman, but he could have you thrown out on the streets, or in prison, just on a whim."

Astrid scoffed, "So if he traps me in a closet and orders me to suck his dick, I should? Because he's a _prince_?"

Ingrid's lips tightened, "You know those are just stories and gossip."

"Yeah, just as about 'gossip' as his rudeness." Astrid crossed her arms.

Ingrid mumbled something into the soapy water and stood up, drying her hands on her skirt. "You stay down here and finish the washings. I will take the unruly task of putting them away."

Ingrid filled the basket with clean linens while Astrid dunked her hands into the hot water. She rolled up her sleeves to battle the heat and took out her anger on the washboard.

X

The week passed and the kingdom buzzed with anticipation. Decorations for the celebration had been strung up throughout the castle, but mostly in the Great Hall, where the first of the Matrimonial Congregation would take place. On the first day, the chosen girls paraded through the kingdom, on extravagant floats, in expensive wear, or whatever else they do. Hiccup was not present during the parade and was not upset. He, along with the royal family and council, dressed in stiff ceremonial clothes, awaited the end of the parade at the gates of the Great Hall.

One by one, the girls dismounted their floats, waved at the crowds held back by the royal guard, flashing white smiles and heavy eyelashes, and were taken by their escort for a formal introduction to the prince.

"Your Majesty, this is Emily Vale, daughter of Richard Vale, the Count of House Vale,"

"Prince Hiccup, this is Margret Shores, daughter of Councilman Roger Shores,"

Hiccup bowed his head to them all, but soon their faces and names blurred together. How many were there? It was getting ridiculous. None of them were unattractive, but they all looked the same. Their eyes were heavily lined and their dresses were too tight and their hair was too big. Finally, the girls had all been introduced, escorted into the castle, and the festival began.

Good. Hiccup was _starving_.

The Great Hall thrived with lively with music and dancing and feasting. As per the tradition, Hiccup regrettably danced with each girl, some of which had more rhythm than others, but most were better him. At least he could look at them without being expected to speak.

A few stood out, for various reasons, such as the brunette with breasts larger than his head. He liked breasts, but not that much, so there was that easy elimination, as well as the girl who, when she smiled, looked like her teeth would pop out of her mouth. Gross. There were a few who had caught his good attention, such as the dark headed girl with pale green eyes. She wore a pale red lipstick that looked nice. There was skinny blonde with a shiny hair piece. There was a pale redhead with big green eyes and pink lips. She danced a little too close, but she smelled nice, like the flowers that grew in the gardens.

As the meal began, Hiccup gladly took a seat at his father's table. His irate stomach roared and pinched at his insides. He tried to eat as calmly as he could, like he'd been taught. The girls sat at their own table and within his view, many of them watched him, waiting to catch his eye and smile. Hiccup caught the spying eyes of a blonde girl in a blue dress. A gold chain swung around her neck, with strands of shiny beads dangling down across her chest. The night wore on with more than one stolen glance and a few quick smiles.

Maybe he could pull this night around.

X

The rest of the castle seemed so quiet during the festival. Astrid, as well as a few other maids, were putting the finishing touches on the guest rooms.

"I think it's stupid to put all these girls in the same hallway," one of the girls whined. "Every time, these cats fight, and those royal people can never figure out why."

The girls chatted while the rooms were set up with snacks, makings for tea, and toiletries. Astrid set bottles of bath salt and tiny oil beads on the counters that probably cost more than everything she owned. At last, the rooms were deemed ready, none too soon, for the feast was coming to an end. The girls, a crowd of chattering high pitched voices, came clattering down the halls in their ornate clothing.

Astrid, with the others, backed to the sides of the hall. The girls choose their rooms, which were identical, down to the drapery, but each room had to be awed over before they disbursed into them.

Astrid held her tongue and kept her eyes on the same spot on the floor. Gobber had been down to the servants' quarters that afternoon with a stern speech.

"These girls are honored guests. You will treat them as royalty. I don't care what stupid requests they make, or demand, this is a dream come true for most of them, so bid them this short time of their lives,"

"Hey,"

Astrid looked up as the clattering girls settled. One of them looked at her, arms folded, hair falling out of its elaborate bun.

"Hm?" Astrid hummed.

"I'm thirsty." the girl whined.

"What would you like?" Astrid forced her lips into a pleasant expression. Compliance.

"I don't know. What are my options?"

"The kitchens stock any drink that be found in the kingdom." Astrid worked hard to keep her voice even.

"Hm…bring me something fruity, but non-alcoholic, and low-fat."

"Yes, of course," Astrid nodded and relished this silly task, because she got to leave the ridiculousness behind for the moment. Maybe, by the time she returned, the girls would all be asleep, and it wouldn't matter.

X

Hiccup, tucked his shirt back in and checked his reflection in the shield of a particularly shiny suit of armor. Passable.

"Hiccup." his mother spat. She stomped toward him.

"Yes, Mother?" Hiccup said, even and calm, like nothing had happened.

"Don't you 'yes, mother?' me, I know exactly what you are playing at." she snarled.

"Whatever are you talking about, Mother?" Hiccup put his hands together in front of him.

She huffed, looked around, and pointed at him with a shaking finger. He held his ground and looked down at her hideously painted nail. "I know exactly what you've been up to, persuading that poor girl like that."

Hiccup sighed. Caught. Whatever. His mother didn't have to know that. "I don't know-"

"Oh, you know exactly what I'm talking about." she spat. "Now, these girls are not the common riffraff you pick up in those disgusting bars. These are guests, respected guests, and you will treat them as such, and stop this 'broom cupboard' business."

Hiccup sighed and rolled his eye. How did she even know about that so soon?

"You need to watch yourself around these girls," the Queen straightened her hands and folded them together. "There isn't one thing that you do to one of them that isn't going to be whispered about by the rest of them. If you sneak one of them off to have sex with the rest of them will expect it,"

"What's wrong with that?" Hiccup said before he could stop himself. It didn't sound bad to him, quite the opposite, but his mother seemed to have other ideas.

"The last thing we need are rumors of illegitimate children, true or not," she shook. "If you sleep with one of those girls, then she goes off and gets pregnant, she could blame you, and claim royal rights, and no one wants that."

"Fine," Hiccup groaned. She was about to say something else, but he didn't give her the chance. He stormed away and walked quickly to leave her behind.

X

Astrid was on her way back to the girl's room, tray in hand, and half expected the girl to be asleep. She was not, however, and as Astrid knocked on the door, her pale face appeared in the doorway.

"Oh, it is about time," she said, opening the door wider. Her hair was down and braided to prevent tangles. She took the tray and tasted the tropical fruit drink, or whatever it was, Astrid hadn't asked the cooks. "Mm, that's good."

"If you need anything else, please ask," Astrid bowed herself out of the room. The door closer, and she hugged the tray to her chest.

She had made it one hall over when she heard the voices.

"You _already_ nailed one?" Snotlout whispered loudly.

"How do you know that?" Hiccup asked, not bothering to keep his voice down. "How the hell does anyone already know that?"

"So it's true?"

Hiccup groaned, "Yeah, it's true,"

"Which one was it?"

"I don't know her name," Hiccup said. "The blonde one, uh…blue dress I think, nice set of tits, whiny though. She's not going to last long."

"Oh, I think I know which one you're talking about. So, how was it?"

"On a scale? Not very good, and she talked too much,"

Ignore him, Astrid told herself. It was hard, though. She inhaled and continued on her way when the conversation abruptly stopped. She glanced their way only to see them both watching her. She was about to turn away when he spoke.

"What?" Hiccup snapped.

Astrid turned back to him, aware that he spoke to her, and she bit down on her tongue, her knuckles white on the tray. She was too exhausted for his banter.

"You think you can do better?" Hiccup sneered.

Astrid turned on her heel. Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore.

"Hey, I asked you a question."

"And I didn't answer." Astrid whipped.

Hiccup's fists tightened. He stomped, and Astrid turned to see him several feet closer to her.

"Excuse me?" Hiccup snapped.

"You heard me," Astrid said. She turned to leave when he reached out and grabbed her arm, yanking her back a step. She regained her balance and pulled her arm from his grip. "You talk about these girls like they're some kind of…prize. Being a prince doesn't give you the right to be such a prick."

Hiccup's glare narrowed and his anger erupted. He raised a fist and hit her, sending the tray clanking to the floor.

"You can't talk to me like that," Hiccup spat.

"I only talk to you how you deserve," Astrid spat, hand on her cheek. She was really stepping in it, she knew, but she couldn't hold it in. "You entitled pig."

There came a squalling at the end of the hall, and her heart fell through her ribs. The Queen closed the space between the commotion and herself with frightening speed.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N - Hi! I was aiming this chapter for tomorrow, but plans changed and tomorrow is going to be super busy for me, so I did it tonight instead. I didn't think anyone would mind. I know I've been complaining about some negative reviews, but I don't want to discourage anyone from leaving me a review. The one in particular that set me off was super rude and nasty. I don't care if you don't like my stories. That's fine. But keep your mean words to yourself. Please.

X

Chapter 4: Bit it Back

Astrid froze where she stood as the Queen marched, cheeks flushed, eyes bulging, hair frazzled, heels clicking furiously. Astrid thought to run, but she knew it wouldn't do anything. Instead, she stood her ground, solid on her words. She meant it. She would tell the Queen so.

_Smack_.

The Queen's palm met Astrid's cheek and she toppled back to the floor. The sharp sound echoed off the walls and the corridor went ghastly quiet. Astrid brought her hand to her stinging cheek. Hiccup and Snotlout stood still, eagerly watching like hungry dogs, and the hall behind her spotted with the many feminine faces of the gossip-hungry girls.

The Queen made a sound that was between a shocked shriek and an angry cry, stomped her foot, and glared down at Astrid, "Your contempt attitude will not be tolerated any longer!"

Heavy footsteps hammered up the hall. Spitelout, head of the Royal Guard, appeared quickly around the corner, "My Queen, what is it?"

The Queen stomped again and pointed an angry finger at Astrid, who still sat on the floor, "Take this wretched girl to the council! I will see punishment for her wicked words!"

Spitelout marched forward and roughly yanked Astrid to her feet. There was no explanation, no warrant, only manhandling as he dragged toward the council's chambers. The commotion followed her through the halls, the girls several steps behind, holding onto each other, watching with wide eyes. Servants scurried out of the way and dashed down servants' hallways.

This was bad. This was really bad. There was nothing she could do. She couldn't run. She would have to face whatever punishment the Queen gave and it would no doubt be horrible and undeserved. She marched just behind Spitelout, her skirts shuffling with each quick step, her damn heels clicking the entire way.

They came to the large council doors. They loomed out of the wall, impassible and forbidden, and Astrid's heart sank into her stomach as they were pushed open on silent hinges. Spitelout threw her into the dark room, and she landed unceremoniously on the hard floor.

More guards stepped into the room and lit the lanterns. The council members drifted in one at a time and took their terraced seats, looking as happy about this late-night meeting as Astrid. They wore pajamas, housecoats, slippers, and angry frowns. They settled into their seats as the lanterns warmed up and the room slowly started to glow.

"What is the meaning of this?" asked the chief councilman.

"Could it not wait until morning?" asked another.

The ruffled Queen began to explain, her voice timid, wounded, and shy, how she had gone to make sure the girls were adjusting accordingly. She pointed a sharp finger at Astrid, "And then this girl…spoke to my son with such angry, harsh, and mean words, against my son, your _prince_,"

"What is it that she said?" the councilman asked.

"Does it matter?" the Queen cried, her eyes glimmering.

The councilman sighed, "Is this true, young Prince?"

Hiccup, who had remained silent while his mother spoke, suddenly became the center of attention. The council all shifted in their seats, the girls eyed him, and his mother's stare bore into him. He glanced at Astrid and for a moment, a brief moment, his green eyes met hers. His face was unreadable, his anger swallowed in the moment. He cleared his throat, puffed his chest, and took a step forward.

"Yes," he nodded.

A murmur went about the room and Hiccup glanced back at the girls lingering in the doorway. He shifted his feet. Astrid yanked her eyes away from him. He would have no problem in throwing her in the streets. Like his mother, he had no sympathy. Astrid hung her head, knowing what was to come.

"I see," said the councilman.

Astrid wanted to fight them, to argue, but she knew it would be useless. Why couldn't she just keep her mouth shut?

"Wait!"

Astrid heard the footsteps, but had paid them no mind until her mother fell onto her knees in front of her. Her hair fell from its bun and her hands trembled.

"Please, wait," Ingrid pleaded. Alistair was soon behind her, his eyes glimmering, too.

"What is this?" the councilman shouted.

"Please, your Excellency, please spare her, I know she speaks out of turn, but please spare her! She makes up for her words in work!"

"Silence,"

The King's booming voice hushed the room. Astrid's heartbeat skipped and then pushed into her ears as he walked passed her. The King walked through the silence and into the chamber's center. His red housecoat was tied around his large middle and his face twisted into a scowl. His eyes fell upon Astrid and her limbs began to tremble. The deathly silence tensed, petrifying her insides, freezing her lungs and limbs.

"What has happened?" Stoick asked slowly.

"My dear king," the Queen spoke first, "This horrible girl spoke out against your son, called him such nasty things, with vile and ill respect, and-"

The King raised a hand and silenced her. There were more things on her tongue, and by the scowl that appeared on her face, they must have been sour.

"Son, I have no doubt that you were involved," Stoick set his gaze upon Hiccup, "Tell me what happened."

Hiccup was silent as the eyes fell back on him. He swallowed and glanced behind him at the girls who eagerly waited on his word, his royal action.

"Dad," Hiccup started, "She did speak against me, with rude names,"

Spitelout's hand gripped her shoulder and even though she was trying to breath, something in her chest was too tight to let the air pass.

"That problem could be solved by cutting out that tongue," Spitelout sneered, his hand flinching.

"No," Hiccup said quickly, reaching a hand out toward his uncle, but he froze in mid-action. Stoick watched him as the council whispered. Hiccup's eyes glanced toward the watching girls. "It was me that she offended, so her punishment is my decision."

"And what shall be done with her, then?" Stoick asked as he folded his hands in front of him.

Hiccup swallowed and peered behind him again, at the watching girls, at his father, at Astrid. "I think…that…" Hiccup cleared his throat, "Since I believe in second chances…she should be spared."

Whispers erupted in the chamber. Ingrid gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth. Alistair helped his wife to her feet and kept on arm around her.

"She can't be let go without any punishment," the Queen shrieked.

Stoick cleared his throat and the whispers died down, "Son, she is right. This girl cannot be let off without any consequence for her actions."

Hiccup shuffled again, looking between the watching girls and his father, words on his tongue, wheels in his head turning rapidly, "Well, Dad, didn't you say that I needed a nursemaid?"

_What_? Astrid whipped around to look at Hiccup.

"I did say something of the sort," Stoick nodded, narrowing his stare.

"Well, give her the task. Let me keep an eye on her." Hiccup shrugged, his nonchalance irritated the bile in Astrid's throat.

"Are you sure?" Stoick shook his head.

"Yes. I'll keep her in line." Hiccup nodded, not able to hide the smirk on his face.

The murmurs in the room turned sinister and Astrid knew what they must be thinking. Prince Hiccup wants the maid all to himself? Of course. _That's_ what they were thinking. Astrid thought it, too, and by the horrified looks on her parents' faces, so were they. But, Hiccup's word was second only to the King.

The council whispered and Stoick and Hiccup were locked in a glare. At last, Stoick broke away and glared down at Astrid, "What say you, girl? Do you accept this offer in lieu of punishment?"

His eyes were like boulders, squishing her underneath, and pushed her words into dust.

"Speak up, girl," Stoick boomed.

"Yes," Astrid croaked, she cleared her throat, "Yes."

Between punishment, which most likely meant death, or being Hiccup's maid, the option of staying alive sounded friendlier.

"Then it is settled, starting tomorrow, your new duties will begin," Stoick said. With a clap of his hands, "Now let us all go back to our rooms for the night."

The room emptied, but Astrid couldn't move. Her entire body froze. What has she done? Arms helped her stand and led her out, through the corridors, and back into the servants' quarters, to her familiar space. Something cold squished on her forehead.

"That was a damn stupid move you made, girl," Ingrid said as she cleaned up the abandoned supper. "The prince's personal _nursemaid_, I call bullshit."

Astrid watched her mother fluster around the kitchen. Her father sat at the tiny able staring at nothing.

"You need to sleep, Astrid," Alistair said, pointing to the beds, "You're going to have a long day tomorrow,"

Astrid nodded, not sure what to say, and collapsed onto her bed. What had she done?

X

No one had objected when Hiccup had offered to walk the girls back to their corridor. They flocked around him, like hungry birds, knowing that he had the only bag of birdseed. The dark haired girl with pale green eyes had started it all, "Oh! That was so noble of you!

"I can't believe you spared her! I couldn't have done that, you're are the better man for forgiving her,"

"You are going to make a great king,"

"That was so admirable!"

He let them share their compliments and awe as they made their way back to their corridor. They fought each other to walk beside him, to paw at him, to brush their hands against his. When they reached the hall, he was a bit sad to see them go. He waved as doors gradually shut, one by one.

"That _was_ a really good thing you did,"

Hiccup turned to see the pale green eyes watching him from her doorway. Her hand reached up to the neckline of her dress, loosened the ties, and pulled it down to a dangerous place. Hiccup smirked, feeling the heat surge in his abdomen, and didn't bother to hide his stare. He locked his eyes on her and took a step toward her, because it was her room, and not a broom cupboard.

However, his night was cut short as a guard stepped around the corner and positioned himself at the end of the corridor.

"What are you doing?" Hiccup asked.

"I have been assigned to watch the corridor, sir," he gave a quick nod of his head.

"Oh," Hiccup nodded. He looked back at the girl. She watched him, a finger hanging on her low neckline, exposing the curves of her breasts. She winked and closed the door.

Hiccup set off toward his room. The guard was probably his mother's idea. Or his father's. The temptation was not worth the risk of being caught. He returned to his room, striped himself, and collapsed into his sheets. He'd get that green eyed girl, and the rest of them, just not tonight. Besides, he didn't need a girl every night, that's what his hand was for.

X

The morning came too soon. Astrid tried to wait it out, but her mother shook her awake.

"Get up, you don't want to mess this up, too," Ingrid swatted her daughter's rear as she walked around the partition and to the stove.

She rose, washed her hands and face, changed, and tried to eat the meager breakfast her mother prepared. Her parents looked at her with such sadness. Would it have been better if she chose the punishment? Maybe.

She made her way through the castle and to the Prince's room. She was met in front of the door by an angry looking Queen. She held out her dainty hand, from which dangled a thin chain with a key.

"This is the key to my son's room," the Queen said, looking down her pointed nose. "It is yours."

Astrid reached out and carefully took the key from her hand. "Yes, Ma'am,"

"You are to wake him up at eight o'clock, have him dressed and at breakfast at nine-thirty, and keep his room tidy. You tend to him, keep after him, and keep him out of trouble," the Queen sighed.

"Yes, Ma'am,"

"Well, get to it," the Queen straightened her shoulders and marched down the corridor.

Astrid stood in the hallway and fingered the key. It was so shiny. This tiny key was probably the most valuable thing in her possession, which wouldn't take much. Eight o'clock, every morning, and breakfast at nine-thirty. Right. She swallowed and unlocked the door. Stepping inside, she hung the chain around her neck and dropped the key down the front of her bodice.

She'd never been inside his room before. It was huge! The bed alone was larger than her entire living space. A red curtain was closed around his bed and heavy curtains blocked the sunlight from the windows. She could hear the slumbering breath of the Prince from within the curtain. Swallowing, she moved to the windows and yanked the curtains open.

Sunlight flooded into the room. Hiccup had a marvelous view of the courtyard and the hills on the other side of the kingdom. The sun illuminated the forests, a sea of rolling green waves, frozen in time. Astrid went to the other window and pulled the curtains open.

She turned to the bed. Does he really need twice the curtains? Wouldn't one set be enough? She stepped up to the edge of the bed and grabbed a fistful of the soft curtains. She inhaled and pulled. Hiccup was sleeping on his stomach, shirtless and clutching the pillow, his gentle snores muffled by it, his brown hair a mess.

In a way, it was cute, and she wouldn't mind just leaving him like that. But it was already past eight.

"Prince?" Astrid asked softly. He didn't move. She said it louder, "Prince?"

He may have mumbled in his sleep or he might have given her a response.

"Prince Hiccup?" Astrid leaned in closer, raising her voice another notch.

"Hm," Hiccup mumbled into the pillow, nestling his face into it. A smile stretched across his lips. He looked almost pleasant.

Astrid sighed, "Prince Hiccup,"

"Hmm-at?" his eyes flickered.

"Prince Hiccup," Astrid said louder, a little sterner.

He inhaled and rolled onto his back, blinking as he stretched. His green eyes fell on her and his brows came together. He propped himself up on his elbows and rolled his eyes over her.

"What are you doing?" he grumbled.

"I'm waking you up."

"Why?"

"Because your mother told me to."

Hiccup blinked at her. "What?"

Astrid straightened up. "She said to have you up at eight,"

"What?" Hiccup sat up and rubbed his face.

As he sat up, the blanket fell to his waist. He was so…thin, like his skin moved right against his bones. She didn't meant to stare, but she couldn't help it. She tore her eyes away from his bare chest as he looked at her, brows still together. He was about to say something when his face lit up.

"Oh, right," Hiccup laughed, "The whole 'nursemaid' thing. Well, you can start by running my bath. Hot, not warm."

He pointed to the adjoining room's door. Astrid did as she was told. The bathroom, like his bedroom, was too large to be practical. She turned the water on as hot as it would go, but then regretted it, and turned it a bit cooler. It was too early to be spiteful. She waited for the water to rise. The steam rolled to the ceiling and against the mirror, and it felt too much like the laundry room.

Astrid came back into the bedroom to find Hiccup in the same spot she'd left him.

"Your bath is ready," Astrid said as calmly as she could.

Hiccup groaned and scooted to the edge of the bed. His bare feet touched the floor, followed by the rest of him, just as naked as his chest. Astrid felt the blush burn through her cheeks and she quickly averted her eyes to the floor.

"What?" Hiccup asked, then he laughed, "Oh, right. I didn't expect company this morning. Have you never seen a naked man before?"

Astrid bit her lip, "No."

"That's adorable," Hiccup laughed. It didn't seem to bother him to walk past her and into the bathroom. "Hey, go get me some coffee, cream and sugar, and some of that vanilla stuff,"

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded, gratefully left, and made her way down to the kitchens.

She returned, tray in hand, to find Hiccup still in the rub. She had tried to meander, at least until he was out.

"Is that you?" Hiccup called.

"It is me," Astrid answered, "I have your coffee."

"Bring it to me,"

Astrid swallowed, "That wouldn't be appropriate, sir."

Hiccup groaned loudly. He snapped, "You're my servant, do what I say. Bring it to me."

Astrid felt the urge to hit him over the head with the tray, but she inhaled and slowly released it. Relax, she told herself. She could do this. She went to the bathroom door and nudged her way inside. Hiccup lounged in the bathtub, water to his shoulders, one arm bent to rest his head on his palm.

Astrid set the tray on the counter and removed the candles from a small table in the corner, pulled it to the bath's side, and set the tray on it. She kept her eyes off of him, but she could feel him watching her.

"You're welcome to join me," Hiccup said lowly.

Astrid almost spilled the cup of coffee she'd been pouring. She quickly set it down within his grasp. _Don't be cheeky, Astrid_.

"No thank you, sir,"

Hiccup laughed, "You know, I could order you to."

Astrid bit her lip and kept her eyes on the floor. Don't say anything. Don't say anything. She bit her lip as Hiccup stirred the sugar and cream into the cup. "You should pay attention so I don't have to do this every time."

"Yes, sir,"

Hiccup laughed, "What would you do if I ordered you to join me?"

_I would fucking drown you_. Astrid swallowed her anger. She sighed, "I would politely decline."

Hiccup smirked and laughed as he drank his coffee.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N - I refused to put this chapter off another day. So, the best it can be or not, it's getting up. It's a little long, because there's some transitory fluff, but who doesn't like good fluff? Also, I mentioned this on my other story, but I'll say it here too just in case you don't read that one. I've gotten a job, it's only part time, but still, I'm rearranging my priorities a bit. I will still be updating, of course, but the updates might take longer. I'm also putting more time into a novel I'm been working on a while, trying to put the finishing touches on it. I will never just abandon a story, never ever, do you don't have to worry about that.

X

Chapter 5: In the Garden

Stoick held his arms out, sucked in his gut, and held still has the servants pulled the heavy armored coat over his shirt.

"Urgh, I don't see why you think you need to wear that," the Queen sighed from her vanity. She powdered her cheeks. With every swish of the bristles came a little puff of pale flickering dust. "It's so bulky. Why don't you wear a suit?"

"Because a suit won't stop a blade," Stoick said. The buckles were squeezed together and his words came out a pitch higher than he had intended.

"Are you aiming to get into a sword fight?" the Queen mused. Her tone did not match her face that was squinted into the mirror as she applied a thicker coat of eyeliner.

"The streets are still crazed from the parade. I can't go unprotected."

"That is that the guard is for,"

"The guard won't stop a blade."

"Of course they will," she said, her reflection smiling at him.

"That is not what the guard is for," Stoick huffed, fists clenched.

"If the guard is not there to protect you, with themselves if necessary, then what are they for?"

The door to the Green Room opened, by a servant carrying a coffee tray. He set it down on the low coffee table between the chairs. He fixed a cup with expert hands, graceful and patient, and handed it to the King.

"Thank you, Otto,"

The servant nodded his head in return.

"Does Ma'am wish for a cup?" Otto asked to the Queen's reflection.

She considered it for a moment, then shook her head gently, "Not this morning."

Otto bowed his head and exited the room.

Stoick sipped the coffee, thankful for a conversation break, it was good, just how he liked it. He checked himself in his own mirror. The armor was a bit out of style, but armor was a functionality, not fashion. He caught his wife's stare in the mirror.

"What is it?" Stoick asked.

"You coddle them so,"

"Who?"

"The servants,"

"How?"

Her stare drifted back to herself as she smoothed her short hair flat, preparing for the styled wig.

Stoick sighed, "Alright, what's on your mind?"

She paused, the beige wig cap secure, her lips tight. "I was just thinking that you went too soft on that mouthy servant girl."

"Margret," Stoick roared, a warning.

She huffed at his silencing tone. "We can't have mouthy help, dear, the others need to see her as an example or they will all be stepping over the line, a little further and a little further, until they are poisoning our food."

"The servants are people, not farm animals," Stoick hammered.

The Queen stared into the mirror as she painted her lips red.

"It was Hiccup's decision. He's made it. It's done. He needs to learn responsibility and to live with the consequences of his choices," Stoick said with a wave of his hand, a symbol in the court that meant the discussion was over.

"Are you sure it was wise to just give him his own personal maid?"

Stoick sighed at her tone.

"You _know_ what everyone will think, _is_ thinking. You might as well have just hired him a personal whore,"

"Margret," Stoick pounded his fist on the table. "We are not discussing this further."

"I'm only worrying about our reputation,"

"Your reputation," Stoick corrected. He pointed a stern finger. "The kingdom wouldn't know half of what it does if you would keep your mouth shut."

Her lips tightened and her narrowed eyes returned to the vanity's top. He didn't enjoy yelling at her, but it was the only way sometimes.

She cleared her throat and said, "So what is on your agenda for the day?"

"I have a meeting with the Duke of the Bedrock Bluffs this afternoon. I thought a parade through the streets would impress him."

"Ah, yes, the Bedrock Blowhard," the Queen snorted into her hand. "I have a breakfast planned with the girls. It will give Hiccup a head start on getting to know them. Have you given them any consideration? I've already found my favorite."

"Let Hiccup make his own choice," Stoick reminded her as he headed out of the Green Room.

"Yes, dear," the Queen hummed as the door closed behind him.

X

Astrid tapped her foot on the other side of the bathroom door. Hiccup hummed away, whiling away the time. It'd already been twenty minutes. What was he even doing? Playing in the water? He was wasting time on purpose. Astrid spied the time from the wall clock, ten until nine. If she was supposed to get Hiccup to breakfast by nine-thirty, he needed to hurry up.

Giving in to boredom, she went to the heavy wooden wardrobe. The big doors swung open with ease. Inside were suits, dozens of them, handmade by the royal seamstress, of the finest material. Each came with a matching pair of shoes. The material looked so soft. Astrid quickly glanced toward the bathroom door. He still hummed.

Astrid reached out and touched the sleeve of a green suit. The material was like nothing she had ever touched. It was like water, magically woven into fabric, smooth along her palm that felt dry and rough in comparison. She ran her fingers along the sleeve, up to the shiny, metal cuffed shoulder, along the glittery sash on the collar, and along the royal crest made of elaborately embedded jewels. It was the garb that kings wore in portraits, ceremonial wear. She'd never seen Hiccup in them.

"Nah, green's not your color,"

Astrid gasped, spun, and collided with the door of the wardrobe. Hiccup was standing in the door of the bathroom, holding a loose towel around his waist. Water glistened off his flat chest and dripped down his stomach. His hair was flat against his head.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine," Hiccup waved at her with his other hand as he crossed the room, leaving wet footprints behind. "It's not like I wear them, they're just for show."

Astrid swallowed, against her dangerously tight throat. She closed the wardrobe quietly as Hiccup rummaged in a chest of drawers. The bones in his back moved underneath his skin as she pulled out underwear and a shirt. Astrid averted her eyes as the towel dropped to the floor.

"Hey, uh, you, make me another cup of coffee,"

Astrid glanced up, Hiccup was pointing lazily to the bathroom. He was just in his underwear, but it didn't seem to bother him at all.

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded, keeping her eyes off of him, and returned to the bathroom.

Of course, he's just left the water in the tub. She rolled up her sleeve and stuck her hand into the warm water, and felt for the drain. She found it, pulled it, and the water began to sink. The water had a not-water smell, like flowers, or something elderly. It was not a scent that she would have associated with Hiccup.

"What did you put in this water?" Astrid asked, but immediately pulled her lips tight.

"I dunno, some oils or salts that my mom gets. Why?"

Astrid swallowed. "It smells like an old woman."

"Oh,"

Astrid smiled at the change in his tone. It was clearly not what he had expected to hear. She dried her arm and made a fresh cup of coffee. She carried it back into the room. Hiccup stood on the other side of the room, dressed, pants up but undone, comb in hand and working it through his wet hair.

"Your coffee, sir," Astrid said as she crossed the room to him.

"Thanks," Hiccup tossed his head sharply to the side, throwing his wet hair sideways. He took the coffee, sipped it, but made a sour face.

"What?"

"Add another glup of sugar," he handed it back to her.

How much is a glup?"

"Oh, you know, a little more than half a glup, but not as much as two glups."

Hiccup smirked, his grin crooked, but Astrid glared back at him. He shrugged and tucked his shirt into his undone pants. He started to tie them up as she turned to the bathroom. She guessed what a glup was and brought it back to a fully dressed Hiccup.

"That looks better," Hiccup said as he took the cup. He sipped it and nodded. "Better."

Astrid took a step back toward the wall. Hiccup sipped the cup loudly.

"Hey, bring me those boots, the leather ones,"

Astrid followed his pointing finger toward the boots left in a pile beside the bed. Astrid picked them up and brought them to him, setting them upright. He stepped into them and wiggled his feet easily into them.

He cleared his throat. "What's your name again?"

"Astrid,"

"Right."

Astrid stood back as he popped his back. So far, this wasn't worse than laundry duty. It was babysitting, or prince-sitting. Same thing, really. Less crying. Astrid spied the clock as he stepped into them, nine fifteen. With any luck, they'd be early.

"Alright, so it's to breakfast, then?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup looked over his shoulder at her, blinked, and then laughed. "Did my mother tell you to make sure I'm at breakfast?"

"Yes,"

"Yeah, I should have seen that," he chuckled, then his smirk vanished and his tone turned serious, "Look, Astrid, you're my maid. Mine. Not my mother's tool to control me with. I could have thrown you into the dungeon, you know, or even have you killed. You listen to me, not my mom."

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded. He glared at her for a long moment, before turning to pace in front of the window. Astrid watched him, never having seen him so…flustered. His green eyes weren't focused on anything. Was that his thinking face? After a moment, she dared to speak. "So that's a no to breakfast?"

"No, no, I'll go," Hiccup sighed. He pulled a light jacket over his thin arms. It made him look a little bigger, but not much. Astrid was taken back when he spun around, arms out. "How do I look?"

She blinked at him, lips parted. "Uh…fine?"

Hiccup shrugged and dropped his arms. He walked into the hallway, and for a moment Astrid stood in his room, unsure of whether to follow or to stay. Hiccup paused, glanced back at her, brow raised.

"Are you coming?"

"Should I?" Astrid asked, biting back.

"I guess, I mean, what if I want a snack later? Or have an itch on my back that I can't reach?"

Astrid sighed, and followed. She shut the bedroom door behind her and kept a step behind him. He led the way to breakfast, thankfully, because they headed into a part of the castle that Astrid had never been to. It looked the same as the rest, but with different doors and windows and halls. Hiccup came to a guarded door, two royal guards on either side, who both reached to open the double doors for him.

The breakfast was held in a large and bright sunroom. The walls were lined with windows that overlooked the green grounds. The Queen headed the long table lined with girls and piled with delicious looking food. The smell made Astrid's mouth water.

As Hiccup made his entry, the hushed conversation ended and all eyes turned toward him.

"Ah, I'm so glad you could join us, dear," the Queen said with a smile, her lips too red and her hair too tall.

"Good morning," the girls chimed together, their variations of the greeting blurring together.

"Hey," Hiccup said as he walked to the other end of the table. He plopped into the dainty dinning chair.

Astrid caught the Queen's stare as she came to stand behind Hiccup. She wasn't alone in her stare, however, as she caught several pairs of eyes watching her. She kept her own eyes on the floor.

"Did you sleep well?" a blonde girl asked him, folding and refolding her napkin with twitching fingers.

"I guess so," Hiccup shrugged. He pointed a hand in the air toward Astrid and said, "Hey, uh, Astrid, get me a plate,"

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded. She stepped around the table, gathering a plate with a bit of everything, trying her best to ignore the stares from the girls as she moved between them, and finally returned to Hiccup and resumed her place behind him.

"So, dear, what are your plans for the day?" the Queen asked.

"I don't know," Hiccup shrugged.

The Queen's brow twitched and her smile faltered. That had been the wrong answer.

"I was thinking," the Queen said, looking into her orange juice, "That you could spend the day with the girls, one at a time, so you can get to know them."

Hiccup chewed slowly, his eyes on his food as she pushed it around his plate.

"You could take them out to the grounds, tour the gardens, or take a carriage ride around the kingdom, or even take a cruise for the afternoon," the Queen said with a sigh.

"Okay," Hiccup shrugged.

"Good, I'm glad you agree," the Queen's smile widened. "We've already drawn names for order,"

Astrid heard Hiccup's low sigh. She felt like sighing, too. What was she supposed to do while Hiccup was off romancing? Although, by the look on his face, he looked as happy about it as she was. The breakfast continued, the girls chattered, complimented each other's hair and dress in tense tones, while Hiccup ate. Astrid tried to keep her own stomach quiet, but thankfully the chatter drowned it.

"Alright, that will do for breakfast," the Queen finally said, bringing the meal to an official end. "The girls and I will freshen up while you finish."

The chairs all scooted at once as the girls stood up. Astrid kept her post behind Hiccup as the girls filed out of the dining hall in a giggling horde. Several of them battered their eyes over their shoulders. Hiccup watched them as he slowly ate. With the girls' chatter diminishing, her stomach's rumble was obvious. Even cold, the food smelled amazing. Maybe, if she was quick, she could snag a piece of toast.

The Queen paused by the door and lingered behind the girls, "I expect you to be waiting in the garden for your first date in ten minutes."

Hiccup hummed as he nodded.

The Queen turned sharply to Astrid. "Make sure he gets there."

"Yes, Ma'am."

The Queen raised her nose and followed the girls into the corridor.

"Hey," Hiccup snapped with his mouth full. "You take orders from me, not her."

"Yes, Sir,"

Hiccup swallowed, leaned back in his chair with a groan. He pushed his plate forward a little and said, "I'm finished."

"On to the garden, then?"

Hiccup groaned and rubbed his face. "I guess."

Hiccup scooted away from the table and meandered toward the corridor. Astrid hesitated, and when she was sure he wasn't looking she snagged the untouched toast from his plate. She quickly shoved it into her mouth.

X

Fifteen minutes later, after a long walk through the corridors, Hiccup led the way into the courtyard, the gateway to the meticulously kept grounds. The Queen waited on a bench underneath a large parasol held by a tall male servant. A brown haired girl in a yellow dress stood beside her. At the sight of Hiccup, she inhaled, puffing out her chest.

"Hiccup, dear," the Queen said with a smile, a hand gingerly touching the girl's arm. "This is Miss Alta."

"Hello, Prince Hiccup," Miss Alta said.

"Hey," Hiccup nodded at her.

Two guards stood behind them, arms crossed, faces blank.

"Well, I will leave you two to it," the Queen stood with a sigh. She motioned them on with her hand. Hiccup and Alta began to walk down the paved garden path. The Queen reached out and grabbed Astrid's arm and whispered, "Don't let them out of your sight."

Astrid nodded, and the Queen released her. She and her guard vanished back into the castle. Astrid started down the path after the two, a guard not far behind her. Hiccup and Alta stopped by the blooming roses. The lattice formed an arched walkway and the roses had climbed up over them.

"I do love roses," Alta said, smiling too widely.

"They're pretty," Hiccup shrugged.

"My favorite flower is the lily," Alta said. "We have a yellow lily in our garden. It isn't near as grand as these, though."

"Mom always yells at the gardeners if there's something out of place," Hiccup said plainly.

"I can imagine that keeping such a garden in order would be quite the task," Alta sighed. "My father in on the council."

"That's interesting,"

"Do you know him?"

"Not particularly."

"Oh, look at these flowers! I've never seen such a thing. They're so lovely,"

Their chitchat meandered as they did, talking of clouds, the flowers, of nonsensical things. Alta did most of the talking, while Hiccup's comments were short and simple. If Astrid didn't know any better, she would say he wasn't interested.

They made it to the center of the garden, a circular area with a unused fire pit and ivy covered lattice.

"Oh, I've heard that this is the best place in the entire kingdom to stargaze," Alta said as she looked upward into the bright sky.

"I wouldn't know," Hiccup shrugged.

Alta twirled around the stony ground, her dress swishing. "Excuse me, dear Prince, is there a powder room nearby?"

"Uh, maybe?" Hiccup shrugged. He looked over to Astrid.

"Yes, I think so, that way," Astrid said, pointing northward. She'd heard of the gardeners complaining of the little outhouses. They were havens for bugs, they said.

"Can you show me the way?" Alta asked, like a child, to Astrid.

She nodded and started to walk that way, hoping there was a place over there. Honestly, she'd just kind of guessed.

"Thank you," Alta said. She waved at Hiccup and added, "Don't go anywhere without me."

Astrid wanted to gag on her voice. She batted her heavy eyelashes at him as she started to walk away.

They walked a small ways before they arrived at a stone structure. Astrid opened the wooden door, and thankfully saw a little washroom on the other side. Alta pushed passed her and immediately when to the mirror.

"Oh, this weather is havoc on my allergies," Alta whined to her reflection. She pushed her finger into the soft skin underneath her eye and sighed. "My eyes are so puffy."

"You look fine, Ma'am,"

Alta sighed. "This whole thing is so stressful."

"Do you need anything?"

"A new set of boobs would be fantastic," Alta sighed, and reached into the bust of her dress. She rearranged a clump of tissues in both sides so that her cleavage was more pronounced. "This is so tedious. You are so lucky that you don't have to deal with things like this."

"Hm?" Astrid blinked.

Alta's eyed rolled over Astrid. "Well, I mean you _should_, but you don't need boobs to clean, right?"

Astrid felt her face redden and crossed her arms over her chest.

"And everyone knows that Hiccup likes them," Alta said to her reflection as she tried to widened her neckline. "I saw some of the other girls. I _know_ that they stuff. There is no way that their waist can be that skinny and their boobs be that big. I don't care what they say."

Astrid held her tongue. Just breath. Be a good, emotionless servant. Blank.

Alta retreated out of the washroom and Astrid halfway expected Hiccup to be gone. They found him sitting on a bench exactly where they'd left him.

"I missed you," Alta said, too sweetly.

"Oh?" Hiccup stood up. Alta ran to him and hugged him, chest first, and Hiccup gracefully tapped her on the back, as if he didn't know how to respond. He blinked, and Astrid had to cover her lips to keep from smiling.

She leaned away and Astrid caught Hiccup's glance downward. They began to walk, but they didn't get far before Alta pointed out another flower with child-like enthusiasm. She bent over, angled just right so that her breasts lurched forward in her dress. Astrid glanced at Hiccup. Of course, his eyes had wondered. How could they not?

Smirking, Astrid stepped forward to his side and whispered, "They're fake,"

"Hm?" Hiccup tore his eyes away to look at Astrid, eyebrows raised.

"Stuffed," she pointed downward at her own chest.

"Oh," Hiccup said, following her finger, then looked back at Alta. He mumbled, "Huh."

The confusion on his face melted as Alta skipped back to him. "So, what is your favorite flower?"

"I don't have one,"

"That's okay," Alta smiled. "We'll just have to find you one."

Astrid almost laughed at the look on his face. He looked as excited he did about flower-finding as he did about dental work.

X

A/N - No, Hiccup's mother in this story, "the queen," is not Valka. I tried to find a better place to throw that tidbit in there, but it always felt like forced exposition and I didn't like it. So I kept it here in this chapter. Don't worry, it's all part of the plan.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N - My head hurts. I don't know why this was so hard to write tonight. I'm more stressed out, I know, because I need a new car and car shopping, while super fun, is super stressful.

ANYWAY - here's the update, at last. I know it's been a couple weeks, but like I said before, I'm a lot busier nowadays with a job and trying to get published. I won't ever leave these stories, but I'll just be a while between updates.

Disclaimer - SOME mildly smut-ish happenings, not all of it completely consensual.

X

Chapter 6

"I had a great time," Alta smiled, too widely, as she gently raised her wrist, as if tried to a string.

Hiccup only nodded, taking her extended hand and kissing it lightly.

Astrid, standing a few steps behind Hiccup, folded her hands over her growling stomach. Thankfully, no one seemed to notice. She waited as Hiccup's gentleman's act ended. Alta's cheeks flushed and her lashes battered.

"I will see you at lunch, then?" Alta smiled.

Hiccup smiled and said, "Most likely."

The royal guard opened the door into the castle and Hiccup motioned Alta ahead. She was escorted down the hall, humming. Once inside, Astrid was glad to be out of the sun. Hiccup swayed as Alta vanished around the corner, battering her lashes one last time at him. Her footsteps faded.

"Gods, I thought that would never end," Hiccup groaned into his hands, rubbing his face.

Astrid blinked. "You didn't enjoy it?"

Hiccup glanced over his shoulder with a tired blankness, almost an annoyance. Astrid swallowed when he didn't speak immediately. Why can't she just learn to bite her tongue? His green eyes drilled into hers.

"I'm sorry, sir," Astrid said quickly. "I-I didn't mean to speak out of turn."

He said nothing.

Astrid took a step back, averting her eyes to the floor.

"Uh…it's Astrid, right?"

"Yes."

"Well, Astrid, I'm not feeling well. I'm taking lunch in my room." Hiccup started back toward his room.

"Yes, sir."

She stayed a step behind as they returned to his room. He threw his door open and went straight to the bed where he collapsed. Astrid closed the door behind her. Did his room get smaller since that morning? It felt smaller. Her heart hammered. Hiccup lazed on the bed, face down, his back gently rising and falling. She placed a hand over her heart, willing it to slow, but it refused.

Hiccup rolled onto his back and kicked off his shoes. He rubbed his face, groaned, and dropped his arms back onto either side of him. He said something, but his words mumbled. He propped himself onto his elbows and his green eyes fell on her. His lips moved, but she heard nothing.

He raised a brow and sat up.

"Hey, are you okay?" His voice was distant.

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded, and the room swayed.

"You look really white."

"What?"

"I mean, you were kind of peachy before, but now you're really _white_ looking."

Hiccup pointed at her, his lips moving, but again, she heard nothing. He swayed dangerously. How could he stand up like that?

Heat surged into her skin. Astrid touched her face, which turned out to be more difficult than she anticipated. Clammy? Why was she so clammy? She leaned back against the door as the room rippled. The heat sank from her skin, evaporating too rapidly into the hot air.

Hiccup scooted to the edge of the bed. His moving lips turned downward. His brow knitted. She caught the words he mouthed. "Hey,"

"I'm fine, sir," Astrid tried to say. Her own words were mumbled.

The room shrunk, impossibly small. Hiccup stood, his feet moved, but he didn't. The room fell out from below her feet, tipped severely, and threw her sideways. She saw the floor, the red carpet, but before she felt it, she was gone.

X

Hiccup rolled onto his back and kicked off his shoes. He rubbed his face, groaned, and dropped his arms back onto either side of him.

"So about that lunch," Hiccup said. When no answer came, he looked up. Astrid leaned by the door, looking _off_. He propped himself onto his elbows. She was pale, sickly so. "Whoa, you don't look good."

She said nothing. Her blue eyes looked right at him, lips parted. The color drained from her face. He sat up, her eyes followed him.

"Hey, are you okay?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded. She swayed a little.

"You look really white," Hiccup said.

"What?"

Hiccup pointed at her and said, "I mean, you were kind of peachy before, but now you're really _white_ looking."

She said nothing. She looked different than the other girls. Her eyes didn't have those black lines around them. Her lashes weren't so big that they created their own breeze. Her lips weren't so bright that they hurt his eyes to look at. She was…human colored. Of course, right now she was ghost colored. Her cheeks had gone completely white.

She fell back against the door, shaking. Hiccup scooted to the edge of the bed. "Whoa, whoa, hey,"

Astrid tried to speak, "I-I'm fine,"

Her eyes fell to the floor and she swayed dangerously. Hiccup stood up and took carefully steps toward her. He was a few feet in front of her when she fell forward. He rushed his arms out to her as she collapsed, limp in his arms. Hiccup knelt there, unsure of what do to.

She smelled different than he thought she would. It was like the garden outside, and a strange smell he didn't know. It was nice. It wasn't like the stringent perfumes his mother wore, like the other girls wore.

She moaned, and Hiccup felt his chest thump. He adjusted her, pulling her into his arms, and her head fell onto his shoulder. Her hair grazed his chin. What should he do now? The peachy color slowly returned to her pale face. Hiccup sighed.

Compared to other girls, she wasn't very busty. Alta stuffed. How many of the others did, too? What sort of evil trickery made women stuff? Why did they lie about it? When he married, he'd find out their real size anyway, so it didn't make sense.

Hiccup hesitated, glancing down over her face. She seemed out of it. He inhaled, and grazed his hand over her chest. He rested his hand down on a breast. Firm. Small, but firm. Guess that was a tradeoff. She groaned, and he quickly removed his hand. Her stomach growled.

X

When Astrid came to, she was surrounded by something warm. She curled into it, taking a fist full of it, trying to pull it closer. The darkness ebbed and the world came back into view.

"Hey." A hand rested on her stomach.

The ceiling was where it should be. The floor wasn't moving. Hiccup was leaning over her, oddly close.

Reality sank. The warmth came from him, from his arms, from his chest. His hand held onto her shoulder, holding her up, his other rested on her abdomen.

"Do they not feed you?" Hiccup smiled.

She blinked at him.

"It sounds like there's a tiny dragon in there." Hiccup patted her stomach.

She could feel his heartbeat, right inside his chest, thumping rhythmically. He had stubble on his chin. She'd never noticed that before. It was the same color as his father's beard. Suddenly, her face burned. She scooted away from him, out from his arms, which hesitated in the air, as if holding up a ghost.

Hiccup shrugged and dropped his arms. "So about that lunch?"

Astrid nodded. She pulled her legs under her to stand. "What would you like?"

Hiccup stood up. "Well, I'm feeling a soup and salad thing."

"What kind?" Astrid stood.

"I don't know, surprise me."

"Y-yes, sir." Astrid nodded, standing.

Hiccup plopped down at his desk. "Oh, and don't pass out on the way. I'm hungry."

Astrid gathered herself and brushed hair from her face. Sweat tickled on her scalp. God, did that honesty happen? It did. She'd passed out, right into Hiccup's arms. She covered her face, but she knew it would do no good.

X

Hiccup tapped his pencil on the blank paper. His entire desk was full of ideas and sketches, but today he couldn't focus. How long did it take to go down to the kitchens and back? Surely she should be back by now. Unless she's lying in the hallway somewhere. Then what?

Hiccup leaned back in his chair and let the pencil drop to the desk. It rolled toward him, he flicked it back up the desk, and it rolled back, and he flicked it, repeat.

A soft knock interrupted, and the door opened. Hiccup sat up, expecting his lunch, but his anticipation fell through the floor as his mother entered. She was fanning herself with some lace-covered stick.

"Dear, I would like to speak with you." The Queen stepped inside and let the door fall back to the frame.

"Aren't you already?"

She sighed, rolling her overly painted eyes. "Hiccup, dear, I was passing by the lounge where a few of the girls were giggling over Alta's morning with you."

"Oh, I bet that was something." Hiccup slumped in his chair.

"Hiccup," the Queen snapped. "They wanted to know if she slept with you."

He sighed.

"Luckily, she denied any such…relations. But, it would seem, that these girls think that, in order to impress you, they need to 'get with' you. Tell me, is that true?" She paced around the room, looking down her pointed nose at the few do-dads he had. When he didn't answer immediately, she spun on her heel. "Well?"

"Of course not," Hiccup shrugged.

"Oh, don't lie to me," she snapped. "I'm sure you were trying your best to corner that girl in a…closet or something."

"Not a lot of closets in the garden," Hiccup mused.

She turned her sharp eyes toward him. "This is not funny."

"Of course it's not."

"I am serious. These girls are respectable women of society. They are daughters of influential people, people that your father deals with on a daily basis. In the worst circumstance, if you should get one of these girls," she lowered her voice, "…pregnant, god help you. These choices you are making now will affect you when you take the throne. Your adversaries will throw them in your face every chance you get. The last thing a king needs is a bastard child. Or, a forced married."

"Thank you," Hiccup said loudly. "I am always glad when barge in to give me such life changing advice."

The Queen snarled, her nostrils flaring. She stomped. "You cannot sleep with these girls."

Hiccup sighed.

She spat, "If you _must_ sleep with someone, get your urges out on that _maid_ of yours. She would be easier to get rid of."

"Just go," Hiccup waved her away. She was even more unpleasant on an empty stomach.

Her lips pursed. "Fine. I'm going to lunch with the girls. And if I hear ANY whispers between the ladies of you romancing any of them, I will return, and bring your father with me."

Hiccup slouched farther into the chair, rolling his eyes as his mother stomped back to the door.

X

Astrid returned to Hiccup's room, tray in hand, and prepared to balance it so she could open the door, but it opened for her. She paused, just as the Queen stomped out, face flushed and lips pursed. She saw Astrid, his nostrils flared, but she didn't speak. She turned sharply on her heel and stomped back down the corridor.

Astrid tiptoed to the doorway she'd left open. Hiccup sat at his desk, looking quite upset, angry, and not unlike his father. He glared down at a piece of empty paper, pencil in his fingers, his knuckles white.

Astrid cleared her throat. She stepped forward and set the tray down on the foot of the bed. "I brought you lunch."

"I'm not hungry."

Astrid had reached down to pull the lid from the soup, but retracted her arm.

"Close the door." His voice was dry.

Astrid walked back to the door, closed it, and tentatively looked at him. He was exactly where he had been, unmoved, his eyes glaring down at the paper as if he wished to set it on fire. She took a step toward the bed, to prepare the tray for him, when his sudden movement startled a gasp from her throat. He stood up quick enough to scoot the chair across the floor a good distance. He looked at the tray, then at her.

"Sir?" Astrid asked. Something was wrong.

His green eyes snapped to her. His brow was stern, his jaw set, his fists clenched. He slowly released his fingers, inhaled, and exhaled deeply.

"Sir?"

"It's nothing." He walked over to the tray and pulled the lid off himself. He grabbed the sandwich and sat down on the bed. He took a healthy bite as he dropped the lid onto the floor with a shrieking clank. "This is good. What is it?"

"I don't know, sir. I requested a 'soup and sandwich thing,' and that is what the chefs gave me."

Hiccup grinned with his mouth full. He motioned her over. "Come try this soup."

Astrid hesitated. "I couldn't, sir, it would be inappropriate for me to eat from your plate."

Hiccup raised his brow at her. "So? I do things I'm not supposed to all the time. But rules aside, you're supposed to eat. Come here. I don't even like soup."

"Sir?"

"I'm being serious."

Astrid stepped to the bed, carefully. Hiccup motioned to the bed beside him. She sat, and lifted the lid from the soup. The silverware shined to perfection and she could see herself in the spoon. She could see Hiccup's distorted reflection over her shoulder.

The dragon in her stomach growled and clawed. She dipped the spoon into the creamy soup and tasted it. The silver on her tongue was forgotten as the delicious taste filled her mouth.

"Hmm," she said involuntarily.

"Is it good?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, sir."

She ate spoonful after spoonful of the soup while he devoured the sandwich. He finished first, and reached around her for the glass of water. His shoulder grazed her arm, his breath was on her neck. She could hear him gulp down the water. He set the glass back onto the tray and she assumed he was lean would back, but he didn't. She froze when his hand found hers, slid up to her wrist, and dislodged the spoon from her grip. It clanked down into the half-eaten soup. His other hand came around her other side, mirroring the action. He folded her wrists to her chest, pulling her closer, into his chest.

Her heart thumped wildly. She shuttered when his lips grazed her neck. She squirmed, but he only pulled her closer, tightening his grip on her wrists. He kissed her neck, along her throat, nosing hair out of his way. A shiver coursed through her spine as he suckled at her ear.

With every exhale, his hot, humid breath seeped into her skin, making her feel feverish. She could see the tremble in her hands, feel it. This is what she had dreaded, feared, but she could feel her body responding. Heat from his touch pooled in her stomach and threatened to go lower. Her breath hitched as his tongue grazed beneath her ear. She didn't even know that spot was there.

One of his hands shifted, sliding away from her hand, up her shoulder, and down along her collarbone. Her heart skipped as his fingers touched the neckline of her dress, pulling at the ties, dipping under it. She felt something hard against her backside, and her tremors heightened.

_Breathe. Just breathe, go with it, it'll be over soon. _

His finger grazed along her nipple.

_ No_. Astrid refused to give in like that. She was no whore.

Astrid pulled against his grip, but he was stronger than she's anticipated. His grip tightened, almost painfully. She cried out as his hand closed around her breast. She wrenched herself out of his touch, throwing herself to the floor in the aftermath. For a fleeting moment, she thought herself free, but he followed her to the floor. He crashed on top of her, pinning her down.

His tongue lashed at her collarbone, aided with teeth, as his groin jabbed at her thigh. She whimpered as his kissed went lower, his knees nudged her legs apart.

"Stop, please,"

His lips hovered above her neckline.

"Please," she pleaded. She could hear the pitiful tone of her voice, _her_ voice, and hated it. Hated him for making her resort to begging. Hated herself for giving in for desperation.

"You don't want it?" he asked, his breath warm against the kisses that had grown cold.

She shook her head. She could feel the tears gathering along her bottom lids, threatening to expose her weakness, her stress, her fear. Her bottom lip trembled. Hiccup sat up, but he didn't get up. He still held her down, pinned her to the floor, and watched. He watched her tremble, plead, and cry.

"Why not?" he whispered.

She choked on her words. "I don't like you."

He stared down at her, his face blank. He released her arms and stood up, walking back to the tray. He took a spoonful of the soup, and nodded, "That is good, you were right."

Astrid pulled the neckline of her shirt back to where it had been, and tried to pull herself back together, standing on shaky legs. She could still feel his touch.

"I'm going to take care of some things before my next 'outing,' take this tray away." Hiccup stood and headed for the bathroom.

He wasn't bothering to hide his arousal. Her face blushed and she occupied her trembling hands with rearranging the tray. She picked it up and was out of his bedroom door before the bathroom light came on. She stumbled into the kitchen's corridor before she realized she stopped to catch her breath. Her heart beat out of her chest. She returned the tray and scooted out before anyone could ask her why.

She paused in the narrow corridor outside the kitchen and ducked into a storage closet. Eating had helped stable her feet, but it did little in the way of her current problem. If she would have remained silent, would he have gone all the way? Would he have raped her? From the things that she heard, from how they whispered about him, she knew he would have, and was surprised that he had stopped when she'd asked.

She placed a hand on her neck. She could still feel his lips, his tongue. It sent a terrifying shiver down her spine, but that shiver had an offshoot that traveled down her stomach, through her gut, and landed somewhere between her legs. She traced his touch down her chest, replacing the memory of his fingers with her own. Her touch wasn't the same, but it eased the stress.

She pulled her hand from her dress and straightened. She shook the feeling, gathered herself, and marched back to his room. If he tried anything like that again, she would break his nose. In the meantime, she had another date to follow. Hopefully, this one had less flowers.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N - Okay, I know update time. I know I've been updating a lot this weekend, but that probably won't always be the case.

X

Chapter 7: Art Girl

Hiccup kicked the bathroom door shut behind him. The bright lights of the vanity mirror stung his eyes.

_ I don't like you._

Why did that bother him so much? Why did _she_ bother him so much? He leaned against the back of the door and undid his pants, reaching inside, pumping before he pulled it out. He couldn't hold back his surprise. She's the first girl to say no to him. Girls never said no to him.

_ She'd be easier to get rid of. _

Urg, his mother's voice was not one he wanted to hear right now. Not ever, but especially not right now. But her words had stuck with him, resounded. Astrid wasn't like the other girls. It didn't make sense to him that she could be worth less than the others, when they were so seemingly abundant. Astrid however … he hadn't met anyone else like her.

_ I don't like you._

Where did she think she could talk to him like that? Say those things to him? How dare she taunt him with her pink lips, her bright blue eyes, and her supple, creamy skin! His mother had put the idea of having sex with her into his mind, not that it hadn't been there before, but when Astrid returned with the silver tray it was all he could think about. He wanted to see if her skin was as smooth as it looked.

And it was. From the first touch it was obvious. His lips had touched her neck, and she'd made the smallest of sounds, so subtle he'd almost missed it, so sweet, so erotic, and he lost it. He wanted her. He would have her.

Her sound reverberated in his head, pushing him closer. At the memory of her chest, his hand around her bare breast, smooth flesh against his palm, the edge was looming rapidly. He could picture her underneath him, neckline loose, skirts ruffled, his hips wedged between hers, and he toppled over it, hot sticky white spilling into his hand.

With the temporary shame, he could hear her pleas.

_ Please, stop._

She's sounded so…desperate. There'd been tears in her eyes. At first, he was confused. Shouldn't she have been pulling at his hair? Trying to pull his shirt over his head? Instead, she lied there, tearing up, looking at him with such…hate. She'd been terrified. No girl had ever turned him down before. They'd thrown themselves at him and he'd fallen right into them.

He washed his hand in the sink and fixed his clothes. He studied himself in the mirror, passable.

X

Astrid woke in the morning to her mother's hand on her shoulder.

"Get up, girl, you've got a long day ahead of you." Her mother's quick steps padded into the kitchen.

Astrid pulled herself from the bed and trotted into the kitchen. The same brown-goop bubbled on the stove. Astrid's mouth watered for the soup she'd tasted the day before, creamy, buttery, and utterly amazing. Compared to it, her mother's cooking tasted like dirt. But, she had seen the ingredients her mother had to work with. All things considered, she made out fairly well.

Astrid sat down at the tiny table. Alistair's eyes shifted from his mug to her and back to his mug. He took a long drink. Ingrid placed a chipped bowl in front of her. Muck. Astrid ate it, reluctantly. Maybe she could steal something from the breakfast table.

"You'd better eat faster if you want to be on time." Ingrid tapped her wooden spoon on the side of the pot.

"Yes, Ma." Astrid's thoughts drifted over her growling stomach of the day before. Gods above, she'd actually fainted. Right into Hiccup. She shivered.

"Are you alright, dear?" Ingrid asked.

"Yes, I'm fine." Astrid nodded, keeping her eyes on the bowl.

She ate as much as she could force down her throat, and scooted away from the table. She was a step to the door when her mother shouted.

"You're not going like that, are you?"

"Yeah," Astrid shrugged.

"Oh, no," Ingrid shook her head and rested her spoon on the pot's side. She trotted to Astrid and began to fuss with her hair. She pulled at the sleep-knots and redid the braid so that it hung over her shoulder. "That's a little better. Go wash your face before you go."

"Yes, Ma," Astrid did as she was told. She washed her face in the lukewarm water in the basin and dried it on the towel. She presented herself again before the door. This time her mother gave a short nod, her expression empty and distant.

"That's better."

"Okay, see you tonight."

The door hadn't even closed when she heard their whispered voices.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Her mother urgently whispered.

Her father muttered something too low for her to hear.

"I know what it means!" Ingrid's voice was threatening to break into sobs. The following words were too unintelligible to understand, but she was sure that she caught _baby girl _and _that monster_.

Astrid took quick steps away from the door. She knew what everyone thought. Their eyes averted from hers. The other girls silenced their hushed conversations when she walked by. Boys looked at her different, like an animal looks at meat. She tried her best to ignore them, to hold her head high, to walk as she always had. But, the memory of the day before still pressed against her skin.

Astrid had returned to Hiccup's room, but he had been sound asleep. His mother arrived to inform them that the girl with whom Hiccup was supposed to spend the day, Lydia might have been her name, had fallen ill. The date that afternoon had been canceled and moved to the morning. This morning.

Astrid made her way to Hiccup's room, on time, with a pounding heart in her chest. By the time she stood in front of his door, she felt like she might faint, but she refused to allow that a second time. She swallowed that fear and unlocked the door. She stepped inside, ready to wake him, but instead she found herself face to face with him.

"Oh, sir, forgive me, I assumed you were still sleeping," Astrid said quickly, with a short bow in her knees.

"I slept most of the day yesterday." Hiccup's tone was calm, a little bored. "I woke up somewhere around three this morning."

Astrid nodded. "Should I run you a bath?"

"Yeah," Hiccup yawned. He sat on the edge of the bed, still in his pajamas, and watched her stalk across the room.

She could feel his eyes on her back as she pushed into the bathroom. She looked back to see if he was still there, if he'd followed her inside, because as she turned the tap, she could still feel his lingering stare. She paused to look at herself in the mirror, fearful that she looked as worried as she felt.

She spied the bottle of bath salts beside the tub. She cleared her throat and asked, "Would you like the salts in the water?"

"No," he answered simply from the bedroom. "I'd rather not smell like an old woman."

Astrid nodded, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

Astrid watched the clear, warm water fill the tub. When it was ready, she turned the tap off and returned to the bedroom, only to find Hiccup snoozing on his back.

"Sir," Astrid said. When he didn't move she inched her way closer. "Sir, Prince Hiccup, your bath is ready. Sir?"

She stood at the bedside and leaned over him. He stirred, green eyes fluttered open and for a moment a sleepy smile stretched over his lips, but it was quickly replaced with a smug grin.

"And here I thought you were part of the dream." Hiccup groaned as he stood up. He stretched on his way to the bathroom, popping his back in several places. "Go get some coffee, and some toast or something."

"Yes, sir."

After his bath, coffee, and breakfast, a swift knock on the door signaled a guard's arrival, to whisk them away to the foyer where Hiccup was formally introduced to his date of the house, Lydia. They were then escorted by a handful of royal guards into a delicate riding carriage. They headed to Berk's Museum of Art, Lydia's pick. On the way, Lydia confessed more than once how much she loved art.

"I paint, you know," Lydia smiled broadly at Hiccup, sitting beside him, holding his arm tightly in her lap, pressing her low-cut cleavage into his forearm.

Hiccup just smiled at her, a bit forcefully. "That's nice."

"One of my paintings is hanging in the castle, you know. In the west wing dining hall."

"I haven't been down that way in a while."

"I could show it to you. You could show me where the west wing is." Lydia smiled, her words tilting downward in an obvious innuendo.

Hiccup cleared his throat. "I'll see if we can squeeze it in after this."

Lydia fake-laughed, covering her painted mouth with fingernails much too long to be useful.

They arrived at the art gallery and the guards closed off the sidewalk. Between them, the wild public thrived on this glimpse. They crammed to see between the guard's bulk, eyes wide and fingers pointing.

"That's the prince, see?"

"There he is!"

"Who's that girl?"

"Lydia something, daughter of the guy that owns that big armory."

"Oh, right."

"Prince Hiccup! Are you in love yet?"

They were finally inside and the gallery doors shut. Most of the noise shut out, but minute whispers wafted in. The gallery, it seemed, had been cleared for Hiccup's arrival. Not a single soul besides the shivering artist and the gallery owner, who looked as though he'd swallowed marbles.

"You majesty, it is an honor to have you in our humble gallery this fine morning," said the gallery owner, bowing so low that his hat fell off his head.

"Thank you," Hiccup sighed.

Astrid followed at a pace behind Hiccup and Lydia, who clung so tight to his arm that he had to wiggle it loose every so often.

"Oh, look at _this_ one,"

"It's pretty." Hiccup shrugged.

Astrid glanced at the painting. She saw nothing but a smear of colors.

"That one's not horrible." Hiccup pointed to a scenery painting of the ocean, an island view.

"Hmm," hummed Lydia. She squinted her eyes at it. "The strokes are uneven. The artist's soul wasn't in it."

"How can you tell that?" Hiccup asked.

"I just can. It's an artist's gift."

It took less than ten minutes of Lydia's "artist's gift" for Hiccup to get bored. His answers were simple and closed ended. His responses were often grunts or shrugs. It was clear to Astrid by thirty minutes in that this wasn't the girl for him. Astrid also saw Lydia's panic of his disinterest. She adjusted her stuffed bra in the glass of a sculpture when he wasn't looking.

"Oh! _This _one is delightful, did you paint it?" Lydia asked the short man in black that had stalked about this section of the gallery.

"Y-yes," he nodded.

"It is amazing! The technique is exquisite!" Lydia said, folding her hands over her heart. "How did you manage these masterful brush strokes? What kind of crush did you use?"

The artist blushed. "It is my own design, a mixture of hair,"

"Oh, can I see it?" Lydia jumped with excitement.

"Y-yes, it is in the back, in the studio."

"Oh, can I go? I've always wanted to see artists' studios!" Lydia turned back to Hiccup, pleading in her eyes.

He took a step back and waved her on. "Go, have fun."

She squealed and followed after the artist. One of the guards reluctantly followed her. Hiccup groaned and leaned against the too-white wall.

"Scratch her off the list," he said as he rubbed his face. He looked up at Astrid. "What was her name again?"

Astrid blinked. His eyes looked greener next to the painting he leaned against, a wild splash of greens and yellows. She swallowed and said, "Lydia."

"Right. Remind me later that I don't like her."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you think she stuffs, too?"

"Yes, I know she does, sir."

Hiccup nodded, thinking it over. "Right. I thought they got bigger about halfway through the tour."

Astrid felt a surge of heat into her face when he looked at her, that smug grin on his face.

"Why do girls keep lying to be about their breast size? I felt so…wronged." Hiccup said.

"It's to impress you, sir." Astrid said as calmly as she could manage.

"Is that why you don't?"

The heat in her face magnified and she wanted to slap him. She saw his eyes glance downward on her chest, and she immediately crossed her arms. "That's one reason, I suppose."

"Do you have an art fetish, too?" Hiccup asked, completely serious.

"No, sir."

"Okay, so from one normal person to another, what's your favorite one?" Hiccup gestured around the gallery.

"I don't really have one, sir."

He nodded. "I'm sticking with the one of the island."

"It is nice."

"What about its uneven brush strokes?" Hiccup smirked.

"That's not as bad as its lack of a soul." Astrid said, without catching herself. She froze, but Hiccup laughed

Hiccup was about to say something when Lydia and the artist came back from the studio, mumbling about art. Lydia stopped short, her smiling fading as her eyes fell on Hiccup. They moved sharply between Hiccup's laughing self and Astrid. She wiggled to stand in front of Hiccup, firmly grabbing hold of the prince's arm.

"Is there anything else you want to look at?" Hiccup asked, a bit exasperated, smile gone.

"I am ready to go if you are," Lydia said, her frown pouting and obvious.

"Thank god," Hiccup said as he swung her toward the door. She yelped, but Hiccup didn't slow down.

The guard secured the sidewalk on their exit. The crowd screamed and hollered, but the prince gave no notion. Lydia, however, waved and smiled and blew kisses. Astrid climbed into the carriage, glad when it began to move.

"I had a splendid time, Prince Hiccup," Lydia said, pressing herself into him. She leaned in closer so that her words dripping into his ear. "Do you think we have time to go see my painting?"

Hiccup winked at her, she giggled.

"Do you think they would tell on us if we…" Lydia whispered something into his ear that made his grin return.

"If not, I certainly would," he laughed. His eyes flickered to Astrid, then back to Lydia. "That'd be a first for me."

Lydia's blush deepened, but she ignored it, "Well, we could ask them to join."

Hiccup's cheeks went a little pink. "Knowing my luck, my dad would open the door."

Hiccup's eyes fell on her again, and Astrid felt Lydia's eyes claw over her. She shifted in her seat while she lathered herself onto Hiccup, smudging her lipstick on his lips, trying to swallow his tongue. His hands felt up her torso, and a bit laughably, fondled her breasts through the dress. Lydia's eyes were closed, but Hiccup opened one to look at Astrid. He pointed to her chest and gave a thumbs down.

Was she supposed to laugh? She didn't.

They arrived back at the castle, to the sound front steps. The crowd was kept at the gate. Hiccup walked with Lydia to the foyer where she made another mention of her painting in this mysterious wing.

"What do you say?" Lydia asked, an octave lower.

Hiccup smiled, glanced at Astrid, and let go of Lydia's hand. "I'm not feeling up for a walk today. My legs aren't used to this kind of activity."

Hiccup waved Astrid to follow and she caught the icy stare of Lydia as she passed.

"Bitch," Lydia seethed under her breath.

Astrid bit her lip, pretending not to hear.

The rest of the week went roughly the same. Astrid came to wake him up, run his bath, and fetch him coffee and breakfast, of which he ate little. Before she tossed it, she ate what she could. By the fifth morning, she wondered if he did it on purpose. She accompanied him on a date in the morning, and a date in the afternoon. He kept a list of the women in his head. He would go over it occasionally, but forgot the names. He referred to them by their hair color, or a facial feature he deemed memorable, or 'Art Girl.'

Astrid could feel the increasing hostility of the girls toward her, and tried to keep her distance. Hiccup, either didn't notice or didn't care. He wasn't going to lengths to bed the girls, and when they offered themselves, he declined. It almost didn't seem possible. This was _Hiccup_, notorious womanizer. He probably has a dozen bastard children wondering barefoot around the kingdom's side alleys. Not that he cared.

Despite his seeming change, Astrid was careful not to give him time alone with her. It didn't matter what he said. She didn't trust him.

It had been a week since that incident. After lunch in his room, it was time for his second date of the day. This time, they were going out to into the ocean, a cruise.

"I haven't been outside of the kingdom," Hiccup said as he and Astrid made their way down to the foyer where the girl and the guard accompaniment waited. "Have you?"

"No, sir."

"Well, this is a first for both of us," Hiccup said with a grin as they entered the foyer.

Astrid smiled back, out of politeness, not missing the slight wink of his eye.

They climbed into the carriage that took them through the kingdom and down to the docks.

"Can we open these?" Astrid asked, pointing to the curtains on the carriage windows.

"No," said the guard without hesitation.

Astrid pulled her hand back to herself.

"No, I like that idea." Hiccup interrupted. "Open them. I want to see the kingdom."

The guard didn't move. "I am sorry, Prince Hiccup, but I cannot. It is against regulations."

"According to who?" Hiccup asked.

"The Queen."

Hiccup wasn't happy about that. His fist clenched and his brows came together, but he didn't argue about it. Hiccup glanced at Astrid, then back at the curtain, then his attention was grabbed by the girl at his side. Astrid had already forgotten her name. In speculation, Astrid guessed that Hiccup's nickname for her would have something to do with her ears. They were a few sizes too big for her face.

The carriage came to a stop and they were escorted to a large ship, whose name was written in large letters along its curved side.

"The Yawning Johann?" Big Ears asked.

"My dad named it, not me," Hiccup said.

Inside, the ship was marvelous. The seating was plush and rich red, the metal fittings were shiny brass and gold, the cutlery was bright silver and delicately arranged, the floors were polished wood. They began their date inside with a bottle of white wine. Astrid stood by the wall as Hiccup poured Big Ears a glass, and then himself, and gently clanked them together.

The ship gently swayed. It had been unnerving at first, but Astrid grew used it. It was sort of soothing, like being rocked to sleep.

Hiccup's glass was empty, but Big Ears still sipped.

"Do you not like it?" Hiccup asked.

"No, no, it's delicious," Big Ears said, looking at the floor.

Did Hiccup noticed the greenish tint to her face? Or was that just the light?

"Oh, okay," Hiccup nodded. "I've planned this so that as the sun is setting we can watch it over the kingdom."

"That sounds…nice," Big Ears fought something in her throat.

"Whoa, you okay?" Hiccup said, scooting away from her.

Big Ears protested with a hand, but before words would add to it, her stomach voided itself onto the red carpets.


	8. Chapter 8

A/N - I'm really happy with how this chapter ended up. The first draft was kind of lack luster, but in the editing process I got a second wind of creativity. It was originally about half the length. I added some fluff, but who doesn't like some hiccstrid fluff? I mean, come on.

X

Chapter 8: Evening on the Berk Sea

Astrid jumped back as vomit splattered the carpet. Her back collided with a picture on the wall, but it was firmly attached and did not even budge. She mumbled a quick apology to the painted man in royal attire, but quickly set her eyes back on the scene at hand. Astrid had been far enough away to avoid it, but poor Hiccup had not. His shoes were no longer shiny, but forfeit to the ooze, and muck dripped down his pants and onto the floor.

"Fuck!" Hiccup shouted, frozen where he sat. He set his empty, long-stemmed glass on the table. "A little warning would've been nice."

The girl looked equally sick and embarrassed. Her face tinted green, and a little red dashed over her cheeks. Hiccup groaned again, mumbling swears. He looked over his shoulder at the guards.

"Take her somewhere else, and…do something about that," Hiccup motioned absently at the girl. "And someone's got to clean _this_ up."

"Yes, sir." The guards took a small moment to silently debate over who would take the girl and who would clean. Both seemed horribly unpleasant to Astrid. One of the guards stepped up to Hiccup, who shooed him away.

"I'm fine," Hiccup spat.

Astrid put a hand over her mouth. The smell just hit her, pungent bile and white wine, and it made her own stomach churn. The girl was carried out while the other guard started to mop up the mess. Hiccup stood up carefully, looking a little pale himself. "There's no way to not touch it," Hiccup said with a groan. He slid out of his shoes and undid his pants, pushing them to the floor.

Astrid blushed, and looked away quickly. Hiccup didn't seem to mind that he stood in his underwear in front of two others. The guard didn't seem upset by it, but he was preoccupied. Free of his dirtied clothes, Hiccup stepped out into the windowed corridor. He motioned for Astrid to follow.

"Are you alright, sir?" Astrid asked, trying to keep her eyes off of him. Goodness, his legs were skinny. Of course, all of him was skinny.

"No, I'm not alright, I just got puked on." Hiccup walked quickly up to the next deck, into an identical corridor lined with windows on one side and lavish doors on the other. He examined the doors as he passed them. "Ah, here it is."

He led the way through one of the doors. It was a cabin fit for a prince. The bed was large and squishy and made up in red and gold. There was a cozy lounge underneath the windows. Hiccup was on the other side of the room, pushing through another door. Inside was a bathroom, complete with tub and sink. He turned the tap of the tub and water began to flow.

"There's plumping?" Astrid asked, her astonishment taking the lead.

Hiccup glanced at her. "Yeah, there's like a tank or something. I don't know. I just need to get this smell off." While the water ran, Hiccup went back into the main part of the cabin. He sat on at the lounge and rubbed his face. "Hey, Astrid, look in that cabinet and see if there are any clothes."

Astrid followed his pointing finger to a wooden armoire with delicate moldings. "The armoire?"

"Yeah, the thing," Hiccup nodded absently.

"Yes, sir," Astrid said with a nod, although his eyes were closed.

She walked to the armoire and pulled open the doors. There wasn't much inside, spare sheets, blankets, and a few plain articles of clothing. She pulled out a set of clothes and set them neatly on the chair beside him.

"Are there shoes?"

"I don't know, sir, I will look." Astrid returned to the armoire and shuffled through a drawer near the bottom. Luckily, one of them had a pair of simple shoes. She set them on the floor beside the clothes.

"Go see if the water's ready." Hiccup pointed to the bathroom door, which he had left open.

"Yes, sir," Astrid said with a nod. She went to the steamy bathroom. The tub was nearly full and she turned off the tap. She returned to the main room where Hiccup still sat, unmoved. "Your bath is ready, sir."

Hiccup didn't move immediately. He dropped his hands from his face, onto his knees, and inhaled. He slowly exhaled as he stood, pulled his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Astrid stood in the bathroom doorway with a lump in her throat. His hipbones stuck out from the top of his underwear. Astrid quickly blinked and looked away. Hiccup walked passed her, and if he noticed her stare, he didn't show it.

"Do you need-" she started to ask, but was interrupted when Hiccup pulled at the waistband of his underwear, pulled them off and down his legs. He kicked them to the side.

"Do I need?" Hiccup repeated, looking at her calmly, as if he wasn't naked.

Astrid swallowed and kept her eyes firmly on his face. "Do you need anything else?"

He shrugged. "I don't know." He stepped into the tub and moaned as he lowered himself into the water. Astrid turned to leave, but he stopped her. "Stay in here and talk to me."

Blood surged into her face and a fist tightened around her chest. She backtracked her taken step.

"Close the door," Hiccup said.

She did, and watched the bright daylight fade, with only the bathroom's small, tinted porthole giving a pitiful luminescence. It glittered on the bathwater. She sat down in a red upholster chair, which felt oddly in place with the decorative suite. She heard the water splash, and for a moment, for one terrifying moment, she was struck with the image of him rising out of the tub and forcing her to the ground. It faded when he didn't move, but whatever gripped her lungs squeeze a little tighter.

"If you were going to pick something to do on a first date," Hiccup said, a little annoyed. "Don't you think you'd pick something that _didn't_ make you sick?"

Astrid shrugged. "Maybe she didn't know it would,"

"How do you not know?"

"She might not have been on a boat before."

Hiccup made a noise.

"This is the first time I've been on a boat," Astrid stated.

"Thank you for not throwing up on me."

"You're welcome?" Astrid bit her lip, fearing that she was tiptoeing too close to the line. He was the prince, she reminded herself, not just anyone. _Keep your mouth in check._

Hiccup didn't say anything for a while, and Astrid sweat from the warm humidity. Her hair stuck to her neck.

"Astrid," Hiccup said quietly.

"Yes, sir?"

"Why did you turn me down?"

A knot forced itself into her throat, and she thought she might throw up, but she swallowed hard against it. In the dim light she could see Hiccup watching her, waiting.

"I don't like you like that," Astrid said, then quickly added, "Sir."

Hiccup moved, but just his hand. She could see the water glistening on it as he rested it on the side of the tub.

"Why did you want me?" she asked, her voice much more soft and timid than she intended. It had been a question she'd thought, but always pushed aside.

"Hm?" Hiccup asked, turning toward her again. The dim light just hit his green eyes.

"Why me? You have all these women at your disposal, vying desperately for your attention."

"Oh," Hiccup said. He looked away and was silent for a while. Then he said quietly, "I don't know. You…just seemed different than them. I wanted to see if you were."

"Was I?"

"I don't know, I didn't get that far. Not even a kiss."

"You kissed me," Astrid said meekly, putting a hand to her neck.

Hiccup made a sound, somewhere between a laugh and cough, and said, "The neck doesn't count. Although, you do have really nice skin."

Astrid blushed deeply. She was suddenly grateful for the poor lighting. His kiss on her neck felt fresh and hot, the flesh memory pulled to the forefront.

"I'll make a bet with you," said Hiccup playfully. "If Pukey throws up again before we get back to the castle, which I think she will, I'll owe you a kiss. But, if she doesn't, you'll owe me one."

"Why?" Astrid asked, hand still on her neck.

"Because I want to kiss you," Hiccup said plainly. He added lowly, "I want to see if those lips are as soft as they look."

A sound slipped out of Astrid's throat and she was unable to stop it. It sounded too much like a gasp for her liking. She said, "That's not fair. Either way, you get what you want."

"I'm the prince. I generally get what I want."

Astrid bit down on her tongue. His tone was slippery and low, and the fist clutching her lungs was making it very hard to breathe.

X

"Well, this certainly puts a kink in the plan," Hiccup said as he stepped back onto the deck, clean and in fresh clothes. The thin material flounced in the sea breeze, along with his damp auburn hair.

The guards had kept watch over the sick girl, in bed with nausea.

"Has she thrown up again?" Hiccup had asked a little too eagerly, as the guard had blinked back at him, utterly confused.

"Uh, no, sir, she has not." The guards had apparently gone to the on-board chef, who had prepared her some kind of herbal tea.

At the news, Hiccup's face fell a little. On their way back up to the upper deck for the evening meal, Astrid had asked, "Do you want to kiss me that badly?"

"Yes," Hiccup said. "I want to kiss you. It's not that I don't want you to kiss me, but I'm probably the better kisser." Astrid must have given him a look, because he quickly added, "I've had more experience. Unless, you've got a secret wild side that you're not telling me about."

"Oh, I am all kinds of crazy," Astrid had shrugged.

Hiccup grinned.

Dinner was served in a grand nook high on the ship, with tall windows surrounding the cushioned seating. Hiccup plopped down as he always did, and Astrid took her stance behind him.

"Hey, sit down," Hiccup pointed to the seat across from him.

Astrid tensed. "Sir, I couldn't-"

His brow furled. "Why not?"

She gapped at him. She recited the old quote that had filled her childhood, "Servants are not allowed at the king's table."

"I'm not the king and this is not his table," Hiccup said. "Now sit down. I'm supposed to be eating with a girl. You're the runner up, congrats, so sit and eat with me."

Astrid moved to the other side of the table and sat down in the chair, which was not as comfortable as it had looked. The chair in the bathroom had been better. The food came out in courses and Astrid cleaned each plate. Hiccup nibbled, sometimes eating more. By the time the dessert came, Astrid was pleasantly full, a feeling she was not at all used to. She took a forkful of the dessert, and it was amazing. She looked up, fork in hand, to see Hiccup watching her.

She swallowed. "Yes?"

"Nothing," Hiccup laughed. "You look like you're really enjoying your food. It's kind of refreshing."

Astrid set the fork down. "I'm sorry, I don't…normally eat food like this."

His smile lessened. "What do you mean? What other kind of food is there?"

"My mom makes this oatmeal-goop for breakfast. I'm not sure what's in it. It sort of tastes like dirt and oats."

Hiccup laughed, but when she didn't return his smile, it faded. "You're being serious?"

"Yes."

His smile faded completely. He looked down at his untouched dessert. "That sounds disgusting."

"Compared to this, yes it is."

After the meal, Hiccup led the way back onto the deck. He reached for her arm and pulled her to the bow. "Hey, come see this. This is the part I've been looking forward to."

Astrid let him guide her to a remarkable view. The sun was setting over Berk, bathing the sky in bright ambers, golden pinks and purples, framing the sea-side kingdom in a halo of whimsical otherworldliness.

"Oh," Astrid gasped.

"This is the first time I've been outside the kingdom without parental supervision. They don't think I can swim, I guess." Hiccup said with a shrug. The sunset light bounced off his bright green eyes.

"This is the first time I've been outside the kingdom at all." Astrid told him, although she wasn't sure why. "Until these past few weeks, I'd never been outside the castle."

"Honest?" Hiccup asked, looking at her without in infamous smirk.

She nodded.

Hiccup whistled. "I thought I was sheltered." He laughed. "Well, since my date is still incapacitated, come and keep me company."

Hiccup motioned to the cozy seating behind them, set for two. He plopped down and padded the seat beside him. Astrid tensed. If she sat down, there was nothing separating him from her.

"What?" Hiccup grinned. "I don't bite. Not unless what's-her-face pukes."

That was not reassuring. Astrid steadied herself and sat down beside him. He drew his legs up and she did the same. His arm rested behind her. She could feel it behind her. The way this seat was made, the way it curved, was perfect for two people, perfect to squish them together. Hiccup was not leaning over her, although the way the seat's back curved, it felt like he was.

She swallowed and kept her eyes on the kingdom as it slowly moved. No, as _they _slowly moved. It was strange, she didn't feel as if she was moving at all, it was like the world moved around them.

"Hey," Hiccup tapped her shoulder. He smiled. "Relax a little, you're so stiff."

His hand squeezed her shoulder and she tensed.

"I'm not going to attack you, relax," Hiccup said, a little annoyed. His hand left her shoulder and smacked back onto the seating. "Think of it as a break."

Astrid tried to relax, but it wasn't working so well.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup finally asked.

"Nothing, sir."

"Right, you're stiff as a board but nothing is stressing you out."

Astrid sighed. "I shouldn't be doing this. I'm already on the Queen's hit list."

She froze.

The Queen's hit list was what the servants called it, the people that the queen disliked, the people she went out of her way to make miserable. Once you were on it, things never went your way. The Queen made sure of it.

"She's got a hit list now?" Hiccup laughed.

Astrid swallowed. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"To what?" Hiccup asked, smiling. "I've been on her hit list since I was born." His hand tapped her shoulder again. "Relax, I'm not exactly a momma's boy. I don't care if you don't like her. I don't really like her either. So come on, relax. I promise you that even if that girl pukes, I won't kiss you until we're back at the castle."

Astrid tried again to relax. It was a little easier this time. They sat in silence as the waves gently rocked. The wind brushed against the water, against her face, carrying the warmth of the coming summer against the lingering winter chill. From here, Berk looked so small, so compact. People moved around, tiny dots, barely visible. She was carried away, inside of a warm, cozy cloud.

The sun slowly lowered into the south. The starts began to blink, and suddenly Astrid was aware of just how close Hiccup was. She had curled into him. His head rested against hers, his breath touched her cheek, his side laid comfortably against hers. At some point, his hand had landed on her stomach. The smell of wine on his breath gently brushed against her lips.

A sound jarred her attention, and suddenly Berk loomed beside them. Down below, the sounds of the docks carried upward. Voices echoed up and around, and Hiccup stirred. The last few dregs of her surreal daydream vanished as Hiccup reluctantly pulled away from her. Sleep lingered in his eyes and he yawned. He stood and stretched, and then offered his hand to Astrid. She hesitated, but gingerly accepted it. He pulled her to her feet.

"That was nice," Hiccup said, barely a whisper.

She nodded, "Yeah."

For a moment, nothing happened. Hiccup flexed his hand around hers. Guards jogged up to the deck and Astrid pulled her hand out from Hiccups. The guards escorted the two of them, and pale-faced Big Ears who met them at the gangplank, to the waiting carriage.

"I am so terribly sorry, your majesty," she pleaded. "I don't know what came over me."

"It's whatever," Hiccup said with a shrug. His eyes lit up. "Did you get sick again?"

"No, I didn't, I suppose it was just a one-time thing, like shock, maybe." A horrible redness burst through her cheeks.

Astrid bit her lip. She'd forever be known as the girl that puked on the prince. Poor thing. Astrid's moment of humor darkened when Hiccup glanced over his shoulder at her.

"See, Astrid, I told you she'd be fine," Hiccup said, although there was a brightness to his eyes that made her nervous.

"Yes, I see that, sir." Astrid's stomach did a twirl. Did he expect her to kiss him?

They climbed into the carriage.

"I'm sorry I was so useless, you had to spend the day without me." Puke-girl said, purring while she held tight onto Hiccup's arm.

"Don't worry, I made Astrid hang out with me."

Astrid saw the twitch in Puke-girl's cheek, the icy glare in her eyes, and Astrid felt a shiver run down her spine.

The carriage did not move fast enough. When Puke-girl didn't have Hiccup's attention, she glared at Astrid. At last, they arrived. They stepped out, Astrid a careful step behind. She was more than glad to be back inside the familiar walls of the castle.

"I wish I could say that I had a good time," Puke-girl asked, embarrassed. "But I didn't, to be honest. I can only ask for another chance."

"I might give it to you," Hiccup shrugged. "I've seen your competition. You just might get it."

The briefest of smiles came over her dried lips. The guards escorted her back to her corridor, to a gang of giggling girls, no doubt, while Hiccup headed toward his own. Astrid walked behind him in silence. They had been inside for a while, and he hadn't mentioned the bet, or the kiss. Maybe he'd forgotten.

Hiccup threw his bedroom door open, tore off his clothes, and collapsed on the bed with an _oof_.

"Would you like your pajamas?"

"Nah, I'm good," Hiccup sighed. He rolled over onto his stomach. "She didn't puke."

Astrid inhaled as she pulled the window curtains closed. This time of night, the grounds look haunted. "No, she did not."

"You owe me a kiss."

"I never agreed to that bet."

Hiccup sat up on his elbows. Astrid lit the candle on his bedside table and turned off the overhead lights. She pulled down the covers and he scooted underneath. She pulled the curtains of his bed closed on all sides, but one. He hadn't taken his eyes off of her. She came to the last side of the bed and he sat up, expectantly, and something in her chest tightening, pushing out the air from her lungs.

She bent down, closer to his face than she'd ever thought she'd willingly go, but paused. His breath warmed her lips. She could feel the heat from his body, smell the soap he'd used, the hint of sea breeze still lingering in his hair, count the freckles on his nose. This…she shouldn't feel like this. He couldn't have that control over her, but…he did.

She leaned in just a little closer, as close as she could be without kissing him, but twitched quickly to the side and kissed him on the cheek. She stood up and closed the bed's curtains. She picked up the candle and was halfway to the door before she spoke.

"Goodnight, sir."

"Goodnight," she heard him say before she reached the bedroom door.


	9. Chapter 9

A/N - Okay. I know it's been a while, but we talked about that, remember? I'm not feeling that well today, I'm going through some personal turmoil right now. I knew that if I didn't update today it would be at least next weekend before I could. So…I womaned up and go to it. I apologize for the mild half-assness in his chapter. I might work on it later and update it later. But that's later. As for right now, enjoy.

X

Chapter 9: Rumors Fly

Astrid woke up before her parents did, maybe before the sun, but refused to face the day. She pulled the rough wool blanket over her head and pulled her knees to her chest. The room gradually brightened, and her parents stirred. She listened as her father rose from bed with a guttural groan, his knees popping. Her mother wasn't far behind, humming on the edge of the bed.

"Good morning," she whispered.

"Morning," her father grunted in response.

On the other side of the partition, her mother started breakfast while her father sat at the table. They spoke quietly, assuming their daughter wasn't just pretending sleep.

"I had the strangest dream last night," Ingrid said.

"Hm," grunted her father.

"We were at the Congregational Ball, working," her mother paused. "And Astrid was there, but not with us-"

"It's nonsense, Ingrid." Her father's tone was final. Astrid had heard it plenty of times before.

Her mother sighed. "I know, it's just, after all of this. I've heard the other women talking. I know what they've been saying. I know why people stop talking when they see me, as if their sudden silence wasn't obvious." Her mother's voice was on the verge of tears. "Madge finally told me yesterday that Goldie told the girls how when she was cleaning the girls' lounge, she heard _them_ talking. They were talking about Astrid, but they called her Hiccup's bitch, his whore-"

"Ingrid."

Astrid bit her lip. She knew that tone. He was done talking about it, and he didn't want to hear any more about it.

His whore. Of course that's what _they'd_ think. Astrid buried her face in the blanket. The abrasive wool was harsh on her skin. Maybe if she scrubbed hard enough she'd forget.

She'd kissed him. She'd kissed Hiccup. Albeit, on the cheek, but what was the difference to him? What if he took that as a ticket to take more?

"I'd better wake her up, then," her mother said.

Astrid cringed at the sound footsteps and winced at the hand that playfully struck her rear end.

"Get up, girl, you've got a day ahead of you."

Astrid groaned. She pushed herself into a sitting position. Guess she'll find out what happened next…much sooner that she'd like. She threw her legs off the side and wobbled to her feet. No, no, she was going about this entirely wrong, she told herself. If Hiccup tried anything she'd deck him. She'd break his nose, or his arm, or his leg, or whatever she could reach.

With a deep breath, in and out, she marched into the kitchen and forced as much goop down her throat as possible. At the table, she avoided her father's eyes, just as he avoided hers. After fixing herself up as much as she cared to, Astrid left the awkward tension behind.

She stopped by the kitchen before she went to Hiccup's room. There was no sense in going back and forth. With the coffee and breakfast tray in hand, she made her way through the castle, heart in her throat. His door came too soon, and she paused in front of it. She didn't want to do this. She really didn't want to do this.

No, she could do this. Hiccup won't control her like this. No way in hell.

She balanced the tray on her hip and opened the door. The curtains were still closed. Assumably, Hiccup still slept. She kicked the door closed and moved inside. She set the tray down on the bedside table and made him a cup. With a quick breath, she held herself tall, and yanked the curtains open.

Hiccup slept on his back, arms folded around the pillow, holding it like something dear. Astrid walked around the bed and opened the curtains as she passed. Then she moved to the window. The bright spring light surged through the room with enough suddenness to sting her eyes. Hiccup groaned and rolled over, taking the pillow with him.

"Good morning, sir," Astrid said as she stepped around to the tray.

"Morning," Hiccup said hoarsely, a well-rested smile on his lips. He sat up and took the cup she offered, sipping it graciously. He hummed into the steam, "You make better coffee than the others."

"Thank you," she said calmly.

She left him to his coffee, to run his bath. She caught his face in the bathroom mirror. He watched her. A bolt went through her chest when their eyes met, and she quickly averted hers to the tub. She watched the water run, not wanting to go back into his room until she had to. The tub filled and she reluctantly returned to the bedroom.

Hiccup sat at the edge of the bed, coffee in hand. He drank the rest of it and stood up.

"Your bath is ready, sir."

"Thanks." Hiccup set the cup down on the bedside table and took a step toward the bathroom.

Astrid stepped out of his way, but he paused beside her.

"Hey," Hiccup said.

"Yes, sir?"

She met his eye. For a moment, he didn't speak, he only stared. There was something in his face that unsettled her, although there was nothing outright unsettling about him. It was the calm expression, the softness in his brow, the hunger in his eyes; it made her feel exposed.

"Do you need something, sir?" Astrid asked quietly.

"I…slept on my arm wrong. My hand's not working. Would you help me with these buttons?" Hiccup asked, never removing his eyes from her face.

A lump collected in her throat. He must mean the buttons of his pajamas. With shaking hands, she reached up to his throat, the first button. The pulse in his throat jumped as her fingers settled on the first bottom. With a quick motion, she could close her hands around his neck. She wiggled it from its loop, pulled the top open. With each button, more of his chest appeared under her fingertips. It rose and fell with each breath. He wasn't particularly hairy, not like some of the servants that she'd seen, who seemed to be more hair than skin.

She moved to the lower half of the buttons. He really didn't have an ounce of fat on him. His stomach was flat, ridged with subtle indentations along his muscles, with red-brown hair that guided the eye downward, where it vanished beneath the waist of his pants, which hugged his sharp hipbones. She suddenly inhaled and pulled her hands away as soon as the shirt was open. Why would she notice such a thing?

"Thank you," Hiccup said.

Astrid froze. The way he was looking at her, it made her want to step back, but at the same time she wanted to stay exactly where she was. The tilt of his chin, the parting of his lips; was he about to kiss her? She readied her fists, balling then at her sides, but he didn't. He stepped away from her and headed to the bathroom. The door closed behind him.

Astrid took a deep breath. She went to his dresser and took out a set of clothes and set them on the bed. She glanced outside to the sweeping grounds. What would happen after all of these dates? What would she do once he was married? Would she still wake up him in the morning and run his bath? Would she follow him and his wife around like some nanny? Raise their children?

Was this all there was?

Astrid started when Hiccup opened the bathroom door. With a towel hanging loosely around his hips, his exposed chest glistened. He walked to the pile of clothes on the bed without complaint, and dropped his towel. Astrid blushed and looked away, waiting until the swish of fabric on skin was finished.

"Are you ready for today?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes?" Astrid looked back at him.

Hiccup shrugged his shoulders, getting used to the shirt. He deadpanned, "a morning picnic and then after lunch we're going horseback riding today."

"Oh?" She tried to feign enthusiasm.

Hiccup chuckled. "I see you're as excited about it as I am."

X

After his quick breakfast, that Astrid finished, they went out to the gardens where Astrid played onlooker to Hiccup and his picnic date. It was greatly uneventful. As far as his dates had gone, it was boring. Hiccup himself yawned several times, much to the girl's displeasure and fear.

"Two left." Hiccup sighed while he ate his lunch in his room. "Gods, I'm ready to get all this over with. You want some of this?"

After a shared lunch, Astrid kept a few steps behind Hiccup and his new date, a brown haired girl named Margret. She clung fiercely to his arm as they made their way to the grounds. At the horse stables, Astrid saw a few faces that she recognized, stables hands, but none of them returned her knowing glance.

"Oh, these are lovely," Margret said at the first sight of the horses.

The stable hands brought the horses out and saddled them. Astrid heaved a sigh of relief when she saw only two horses, for Hiccup and his date. She would rather keep her feet on solid ground. Instead of following behind them, Astrid stood with the guards as Hiccup and Margret trotted around the open ground. One of the guards feel asleep, snoozing with his mouth open.

More than once, Hiccup and Margret trotted out of sight, to little worry of the guards. They made lurid comments, but made no motion to do anything about it. However, as soon as Astrid would start to worry, the two of them would reappear. The sun crawled across the warm blue sky and by early evening, Astrid was ready for the date to end. As the horses trotted back, it looked as though Hiccup was ready, too. The stable hands appeared again to take the horses away, and as the two riders dismounted, Astrid caught an icy glare from Margret's black-lined eyes. The glare vanished as she looked back at Hiccup.

"I have a _lovely _time, dear Prince," Margret said sickeningly sweet.

"At least one of us did," Hiccup said in a sweet tone that defined his words, winking at Astrid.

Margret blinked at him, her smile dipping into a frown, and turned her sharp, angry eyes on Astrid.

"I'm starved," Hiccup said casually to Astrid. "What's on the menu today?"

"I'm not sure, sir," Astrid gently shook her head.

"Right, well, I'm thinking maybe some of that marinated mutton. It's the chef specialty or something." Hiccup said. He motioned Astrid after him, not giving Margret a second glance, leaving her looking shocked and abandoned.

X

Hiccup pulled one of the passing servants in the corridor and ordered dinner, and continued on his way to his room, silent most of the way. Once they were back in his room, he sighed and collapsed onto the bed.

"Was your date that exhausting?" Astrid asked. The bright evening sun didn't shine directly into his room, but the warm light floated through the thick woods of the grounds.

Hiccup rolled onto his back. "Yes and no. This whole thing is exhausting."

"On the bright side, you only have one date left."

"One first date left." Hiccup groaned. "Then I have to decide who I like slightly more than the rest and then talk to them again. It's like trying to decide between mud and wet sand."

"Wet sand makes sand castles."

Hiccup scooted up to his elbows, brow raised. "Yes, yes it does. Thank you, Astrid. I will treasure your optimistic advice forever."

"Then my job is done, sir."

He smiled, and half-laughed.

X

The fluttering chatter in the lounge came to an abrupt stop when Margret, flushed and angry, stomped inside. She flopped down into a cushy armchair and the other girls quickly surrounded her.

"What happened?"

"Are you alright?"

"How did it go?"

When their questions were finished, Margret sucked in a large breath. "It was horrible."

Gasps, all around, none very surprised.

"It was like he didn't even want to be there," Margret cried. "Then, at the end, I told him that I had a lovely time, and he said 'at least one of us did' and I don't know what to think!"

"That's terrible!"

"Rude!"

Margret sucked down a sob. "It felt like he wasn't even the slightest bit interested."

There were several nods, a few mumbled agreements.

"I felt the same way," one of the girls said. "Like he was only there because he _had_ to be."

"I had him alone," Margret whined. "We were out of sight and I tried my best to get him to sleep with him, but he outsight said no."

"He _declined_ sex?"

"He did the same with me!"

"Hiccup doesn't do that."

"I know! What is wrong with him?"

The flabbergasted girls whispered among themselves.

"And then," Margret added, enjoying the temporary spotlight her misfortune had given her. "He _immediately_ went over to that…whore of his, and I…and I _saw _how he looked at her. His entire face lit up."

"He looks at her like a puppy," chimed in another girl.

"Attention needy."

Whispers gained volume in the lounge.

Margret sniffled. "You were right, Kim." Their attention slowly came back to her. "I think he _is_ sleeping with her. She is the reason he doesn't care. She's taking all of his attention and energy."

The whispers gained in fever. One of the girls handed Margret a cup of juice and champagne. She turned to another, "You've got your work cut out for you, Heather. The last girl never gets the man."

Heather, who had previously remained silent, only smiled. She sipped her juice and ran a delicate finger along the rim.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N – I bought a new desk, which I thought by now would be operating as my official writing sanctum, but my room is still a construction zone. By this time next week I will have it completed, hopefully. This chapter isn't as long as I originally thought it would be, but the next scene is longer, and I don't have the patience right now, or the time really, to work on it. Regardless, enjoy!

Also, thanks a ton for all the positive feedback. It's really awesome to know that you're enjoying this story! Thanks for the support and all the reviews! You guys rock!

X

Chapter 10: Hot Chocolate

Exhausted. There was no other word for what Hiccup felt. This entire…adventure was exhausting. Every night when he returned to his room, he would collapse onto his bed. It felt like returning home, comfort, relaxation, a peace within himself, in his space. Today had been no different. He wasn't sure how long he'd been lying face down, but his rest was interrupted by a soft knock at the bedroom door, followed by a swift opening and closing.

It could only have been Astrid, the only person who'd just come in without a vocal invitation, but that was alright. She knew he'd let her in, so there was no need to ask permission. Her soft footsteps approached the bed, and then stopped.

"Your hot chocolate, sir, as requested."

Hiccup rolled onto his back. Astrid stood by the bed, mug held in both delicate hands, blue eyes on him. He sat up and held his hand out for the steaming mug. She walked over to him, close enough he could see the fibers of her dress. The cheap fabric didn't melt together like his clothes. The rough material looked uncomfortable. He couldn't imagine wearing it all day.

The mug warmed his hands. How they had gotten cold, he didn't know. While he sipped the hot chocolate, Astrid closed the windows.

"Just one date left," Astrid reminded him. As if he'd forgotten.

"Yeah." Hiccup took a gulp from the mug. It burned a little, but he forced it down. One girl left, and it just happened to that dark haired girl with the pale green eyes. He didn't even know her name, and probably wouldn't remember this time tomorrow.

"Sir?" Astrid asked. He looked up. She stood with her hands at her sides. "Is something bothering you?"

"No," Hiccup lied. He stared down into the chocolate. He'd seen his mother talking to the girl with green eyes several times, too many to be casual coincidence. If he knew his mother, she was plotting. She'd chosen her favorite.

"Is the chocolate not hot enough?" Astrid asked, still standing in the same spot.

"No, it's perfect." Hiccup took another sip. It was a little cold, but he didn't mind. "Besides, hot chocolate once cooled becomes chocolate milk. There's no wrong turn to make."

Astrid gave him a quick, simple smile. It looked good on her. Hiccup slumped over onto his knees, something he'd be reprimanded for in an instant if his mother saw. Only Astrid would witness his lapse in perfect posture, and she didn't seem to mind a bit.

"My father used to make me go out in the evening to practice things, like archery and fencing," Hiccup said. He liked talking to Astrid. It put him at an ease that he wanted to never let go of. "He thought it would 'build character.'"

"Is that so, sir?" Astrid responded mechanically, in the same tone he'd heard a million times from the servants. Were they born with it or was it learned? Taught to them along with the alphabet?

"Yeah," Hiccup sighed. He glanced toward the window where the grounds were visible during the day. "But after it was decided that I wasn't any good at those types of things, my father stopped making me go." Hiccup added with a bit more spite that he had intended, "Snotlout, however, was great at all of it."

"Being good or bad at fencing doesn't mean anything," Astrid said calmly. He turned toward her, and her eyes widened in a slight surprise.

"How so?" Hiccup asked when she didn't continue.

"Knowing how to fence doesn't affect your ability to make good decisions." Astrid shifted her gaze to the floor. "It's like being clumsy, all it means about your character is that you are more liking to drop things, or run into things." She paused, and then as an afterthought directed at him she added, "A good king isn't made by knowing how to fence."

Hiccup sipped his hot chocolate. A good king isn't made by knowing how to fence.

"I am sorry if I offended you." Astrid had spoken so softly, he almost didn't hear her.

Hiccup looked over at her. Of course. She had given advice aimed at being king, and he had said nothing, only stared into the mug. "No, I'm not offended at all. I enjoy your advice. It makes sense."

She blinked at him, confused, as if she'd expected him to lash out at her. That assumption bothered him. He was not his mother.

"What I mean is that it's not some stupid made-up bullshit to make me feel better. It's the truth." Hiccup pointed at her with his free hand. "That's something I like about you."

A pink flush came into Astrid's cheeks. She averted her eyes, but Hiccup watched her, grinning. She was adorable when honestly embarrassed. He took a long drink from his quickly cooling hot chocolate.

"So tomorrow is the last of the first dates," Hiccup said with a sigh. "After that, I'll have a short reprieve before the second dates start, in which I'll be trimming down the competition. Of course, if I trimmed out all the weird ones I'd be left with myself."

"Surely you've found a few that you can stand?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "There were some that I could stand for ten minutes at a time, maybe. Like that flower-crown girl. She was alright."

"Do you remember any of their real names, sir?" Astrid asked, failing to hide the humor in her voice.

"No," Hiccup laughed.

"Okay, let's start with the ones that you know that you'll eliminate," Astrid said.

"Don't use that word, I'm not sending them to the execution block." Hiccup shook his head. That's a word Spitelout would have used, and if he had his way, he would send them to their deaths. Freak.

"Okay, who can you not stand the most?"

Hiccup had to think on that one. "Well, I suppose that 'what's your favorite flower' girl can go. She asked me that about seven times that day. I think she's been sniffing too many flowers."

Astrid smiled. She remembered her, too. That had been the first date.

They went through the list of girls, according to their nick-names Hiccup had so graciously given. He listed the cons, which included being loud, obnoxious, dumb-sounding, too tall, boring, weird, and for one poor girl, smelling like peanuts. He had a wide array of complaints, most of which revolved around their ridiculous clinginess to him. They latched themselves onto his arm and refused to let go.

"That's because they want you to notice them," Astrid said. "They are vying for being queen and they all want it. And, unfortunately for you, you are the only way they'll get it."

"It _is_ unfortunate for me." Hiccup half-laughed. He was the one who'd have to marry whatever girl he chose. This conversation had taken a depressive turn, and he'd like to turn back onto the good humored road that wasn't about his bleak royal future. "What about you? Did you think any of them were semi-decent?"

"I'm not shopping for a wife," Astrid said. She quickly added, "Sir."

Hiccup smiled. "Okay, could you stand any of them? As if you were friend-forever shopping?"

Astrid bit her lip, like she did when she thought, and looked absently to the ground. She swung her arms slightly, and titled her weight between her feet. "I suppose, Fake Red wasn't that bad."

Fake Red was a girl Hiccup had taken to a play. Her hair had been bright red, the color of fire. Hiccup refused to believe that her hair color was real. Her tanned skin tone didn't match, and her brows were dark brown. Astrid had confirmed his suspicions when Fake Red had taken her to the restroom with her, and complained about her hair growing too fast. Aside from her hair, her company had been enjoyable.

"She was intelligent, well spoken, and open doors for herself," said Astrid.

"That would save me a lifetime of open doors for her." Hiccup nodded. "That reminds me of Hoops. I didn't get to the door when she did and she stood there and stared at me. Remember?"

"I do, sir." Astrid nodded.

Hoops had been named for her giant earrings that she's worn on their date. Hiccup had forgotten where they'd gone and what they'd done, but she was all legs and arrived at the door before he did, and shot him a death glare when she had to stand and wait for him to open it. Her demanding manners had checked her off the list.

They talked for what felt like a very short amount of time, one that Hiccup wished would last, but his exhaustion mounted on his ability to stay awake. He fought down yawns, but finally he lost.

"It is late, sir, and you need you rest for tomorrow." Astrid's tone was dismissive, but pleasantly so.

"So do you. Tomorrow evening we'll have to go back through the list, but for real." Hiccup didn't look forward to that.

"Of course," Astrid nodded.

Hiccup handed her the mug while he washed and readied for bed. When he returned to the bedroom the curtains had been drawn on all but one side of the bed, and the sheets had been smoothed and primed. Astrid had fluffed the pillow and gently replaced it. Hiccup, now in his pajamas, scooted into the familiar blankets, his familiar sleeping square.

"Goodnight, sir." Astrid pulled the blankets up to him.

"Do I get a goodnight kiss?" Hiccup asked. With her leaning over him like this, it would be easy to reach up and kiss her, to pulled her down onto the bed with him, to climb on top of her and take it. He wanted to do all of those things, but more than that, he wanted her to want it, too. He _could_ order her to do it, he _could_ order her to enjoy it, but he knew that feeble attempt wouldn't work.

A part of him tensed when Astrid hesitated in her leaned-over position. Would she?

She didn't.

"Not tonight, sir." Astrid stood up.

"Goodnight." Hiccup watched as she drew the curtains, leaving him to his own little dark space. What would it be like to share a sleeping space with someone every night? When he tried to imagine life in the future with any of these girls, the image was blank, like it didn't exist. He couldn't imagine a life with any one of them. He didn't want to share a bed with them. Of course, he could do like this parents and sleep in separate rooms. It would solve the problem entirely.

X

The castle was deathly quiet this time of night. The servants' quarters, however, weren't. In order to keep this castle up and running, the help couldn't sleep, not all at the same time, of course. Alistair Hofferson should have been sleeping, but his mind refused to let him rest. Beside him, his wife, Ingrid, pretend to sleep as well. Her eyes were wide open, staring at the wall on the other side of the tiny space, over their daughter's empty bed.

Astrid should have been home an hour ago. Their baby girl should have been sleeping by now, in that bed, where they could see her. But she wasn't. She was still awake, held up by that…delinquent cretin of a prince. A father's worst fear boiled up inside of him, that the prince took advantage of her, forced her into his bed, like some common street whore; Astrid, his only child, his baby girl, and his inability to protect her tore at his heart. It tore at his wife's too, he knew, but talking about it only seemed to make it worse.

The door to their tiny living space eased open and gently closed. Alistair's eyes were wide open as a slim shadow moved across the partition. Shoes were being removed with a soft sigh.

Astrid.

Ingrid started to move, but Alistair stopped her. She looked over her shoulder at him, almost pleading, but he shook his head. "Let me talk to her."

Ingrid didn't fight him. He climbed around her and met Astrid at the partition. At the sight of him she jumped, clutching the front of her dress. Alistair's heart sank at the sight.

"Astrid, sit down," he pointed to the small table.

"Right now?" Astrid said, yawning. "It's late."

"I know. Right now." He pointed again, and pushed her a little with his other.

Reluctantly, she sat down at the table.

"Astrid, where have you been?"

This question seemed to ring irritation. "I was with Hiccup."

His chest tightened. "Doing what?"

Astrid blinked. "Why do you need to know? He wanted hot chocolate so I had to hunt someone down in the kitchens to make some. Then we talked. Can I go to bed now?"

Alistair took a moment to study her daughter. She'd never been good at hiding her emotions, kind of like her mother. Her feelings were always right there on her sleeve, exposed and raw. Astrid didn't seem upset or angry. No concrete evidence proved that she had been forced into sex, but the rumors worried him.

"Dad?" Astrid asked. "Can I please go to bed?"

"Astrid, are you sleeping with him?"

Astrid blinked several times, a light blush coming onto her cheeks, a bright pink, just like her mother. Shaking her head, she said, "No. I haven't done anything like that."

"Is he treating you poorly?"

"No, Dad, he's fine."

Alistair stared at her, waiting for her confession, waiting for her to tell him everything that everyone thought they already knew. But it never came.

"What is it?" Astrid asked at last. "I'm not having sex with anyone. Hiccup isn't…he's not like that, okay? I'm going to bed. Goodnight."

Alistair remained in the kitchen while Astrid got up, walked passed him, and crawled into her bed. He sat there for a while, debating over her words. Could she be lying? That was always a possibility. It had taken almost a year before poor Olive came forward. She had been ashamed, broken. Astrid had always been a strong girl, which Alistair proudly compared with his own. She would never cave in. She would fight. However, that stubbornness was exactly what got her into his mess.

Alistair sank his head into his hands. What would he do if it were true? He knew he'd want to go straight to that monster's room and strangle his scrawny neck. He'd take whatever punishment, most likely death, as a proper trade for murdering the man that ruined his daughter's purity. But he wouldn't, but without knowing for sure. He would prepared for that day then, when Astrid would crumble, when it would become too much. He would be there to make sure the due was paid.


	11. Chapter 11

A/N - I'm back! I know it's been a while, longer than I wanted, but things happen. I've decided on going to graduate school to obtain my MFA. I spent this weekend researching and whatnot, and working on my admission letter into the program. Anyway, onward to the story.

P.S. - Thanks a ton for all the lovely, positive support for this story! Reviews are a great way to let me know what you like and what you didn't. Don't worry about 'nothing I have to say is worth reading' I love reviews!

X

Chapter 11: Heather

Hiccup had a terrible night's sleep. He had woken up enough times he hadn't bothered to keep track, and when the pale dawn light first began to glow, he gave up trying to sleep. He rolled onto his back and stared up at the top of his canopied bed. If only Astrid would wake up early, too, and bring him coffee and toast. She would run his bath while he ate, and he'd leave a piece of toast for her.

Hiccup pushed himself out of bed and trudged to the window. Dawn had barely arrived. The sun clung to the other side of the world and stars still sparkled in the clear blue-purple sky. The castle grounds hesitated in the nighttime shadows and early fog, making them look ominous and threatening, and somehow magical and whimsical, like a place where children could run into and never be found.

Maybe, if he left right now, he could still catch that evaporating wonder-world. He could vanish into another where he didn't have to deal with all these prancing women, parental pressure, and grimaces from strangers. He'd go someplace where _he _would be a stranger. No one would know his name. He could give himself a new one, something not reminiscent of a muscle spasm.

Hiccup stood at the window and watched the sun slowly rise, sooner than he'd like. The wonder-world dissolved under the sun's bright gaze.

"Are you alright, sir?"

Hiccup jumped. He hadn't heard Astrid come inside, and yet there she stood, coffee and breakfast on a tray.

"Yeah, I just woke up early." Hiccup sighed and strolled back over to the bed. Astrid stepped over and set the tray down beside him, and then straightened to yank the bed curtains aside.

"Have you slept?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah, why?" Hiccup grabbed the already made coffee. The warmth seeped into his fingers and his throat.

"You…don't look like you have."

Hiccup paused to consider this. There'd be bags under his eyes, surely. "I didn't sleep well."

"Is something wrong?" Astrid asked, halfway to the bathroom.

"Nothing more than usual," Hiccup groaned as he stood. He tried to eat the toast, but he wasn't hungry. He followed Astrid to the bathroom, thinking a warm bath will make everything better.

Astrid stood bent over the tub, her fingertips underneath the running water. Even in her unshapely, plain dress, her ass looked fantastic. Hiccup tried to imagine when she'd look like out of it, but he knew he couldn't do her justice, or so he'd like to believe. Astrid stood up straight and Hiccup tore his eyes away from her backside. She wiped her wet fingers on her skirt, and as her eyes settled on Hiccup, she jumped, bumping her legs on the tub.

For an exalted moment, he thought she might fall backward into the tub, but she stabilized herself. She looked relieved, but Hiccup would rather her have fallen in. She would have been soaking wet, bland dress clinging to her, and it would have been beneficial to take it off and let it dry. She could have worn his pajamas.

Astrid stepped aside while the tub filled. Not minding her presence, he started to unbutton his shirt. She looked to the floor with pink cheeks. Her adorable innocence had an incredible appeal that he didn't understand. _Was that even it_? There was something about her that he couldn't figure out, but he wanted more and more of it, of her.

His pajamas fell to the floor and he stepped passed her and into the tub. The hot water did feel good and would do wonders for his mood. Astrid stepped toward the door and heart flip-flopped.

"Hey," Hiccup said quickly. "Stay in here and talk to me."

Astrid hesitated by the door, and then pushed it closed. As she sat she asked, "What would you like to talk about?"

Hiccup sighed and rolled his neck around his shoulders.

"Is it about today?" Astrid asked, as if sensing it.

"Yeah," Hiccup slid further down into the water, thinking of how long it would take to drown, even though he'd never do such a thing.

"You should be a professional at this dating game by now," Astrid said with a lighthearted humor that made him smile.

"Yeah, I guess I should."

"Then what is the matter?"

"This last girl," Hiccup hesitated. What if it was nothing? "I've seen her talking to my mom."

"And?"

"I don't know, it's like they're conspiring against me."

"Do you think your mom is giving her tips?" Astrid asked, and Hiccup could hear the smile on her lips.

"I don't know, but I don't like it."

"You never know, you might like this one. She might be different."

"She won't," Hiccup assured her. She'll be like the rest, superficial, puffed up and fake, and desperate. He looked over to Astrid. She rested her elbows on her knees. As if sensing his stare, she glanced at him. He smiled. "You want to join me?"

"No thank you." Astrid bit her lip. "Sir."

X

Hiccup, dressed and feed, headed down to the foyer where the green eyed girl waited. She wore a gray-green dress, form fitting but conservative. His preened mother stood beside her, chin held high and her hair too big.

"Hiccup, I wanted to _formally _introduce you," said the Queen with a flourish of her painted nails. Her hand rested on the girl's shoulder. "This is Heather, my niece."

"Hi," Hiccup said with a curt nod.

"It's nice to finally meet you," Heather said with a coy smile.

"Alright, off with the two of you!" The Queen shooed them toward the main doors. "You've got a big day ahead of you!"

Hiccup and Heather were escorted to the waiting carriage. The red, lavish interior looked like something from another era with its large wooden wheels and cushioned seats. Hiccup didn't offer Heather his hand as she climbed into the carriage, and she didn't seem all that bothered. She'd climbed inside without hesitation.

"Are you coming?" Hiccup asked Astrid when she hesitated to join.

Astrid blinked at him. "Ride with the two of you?"

"Of course," Hiccup shrugged. Why wouldn't she? Astrid put him at ease, breaking the awkward silence of the date. "Come on."

"Yes, sir." Astrid nodded and climbed into the carriage.

"Hi," Hiccup heard Heather say.

Hiccup climbed inside and the guard shut the door. Heather, still smiling, kept her eyes on Astrid. Astrid bit her lip and looked down at her hands in her lap.

"You really do take your nursemaid everywhere," Heather said to him with flickering smile.

"Yeah," Hiccup shrugged. "I didn't think I would, but she's handy. No one makes coffee like Astrid."

Heather nodded, her lips tight. The carriage lurched into motion, bumping along the stone streets.

"Wow, it's really…authentic." It felt like they were driving along a washboard.

"I know, a carriage ride through the kingdom, real original." Heather sighed. She looked uncomfortable with the unsmooth ride as well. Her oddly colored dress hugged her chest, but she didn't push it out purposefully, or look like she stuffed. Hiccup didn't know for sure. He'd ask Astrid when he got the chance.

"It's not the worst," Hiccup said.

"I thought it would be nice to just relax, instead of worrying about doing something, you know?" Heather's green eyes had speckles of brown in them, kind of like the tiny specks of gold in Astrid's.

"Yeah, I know. I kind of like it."

Heather smiled, genuinely. "So, besides sleeping and eating, what else do you do all day?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Heather started, with a calm wave of her olive skinned hand. "You spend all day in the castle. What do you do all day? For example, I have piano lessons, I read, and take self-defense twice a week."

"Self-defense?"

"Of course. I need to be able to defend myself should the need arise," Heather said simply. "So what do you do? Hobbies? Secret pastimes?"

"Oh, well, I…uh," Hiccup hummed as he thought. "I've been busy lately."

Heather smiled. "I bet."

"Before that I hung out a lot with Snotlout, you know, trying to rub off on him a little. I know his dad likes me better." Hiccup winked, although he knew it was a lie. Spitelout hated him, and if he could somehow put his own son on the throne, he would. "I used to read, but I've gotten out of the habit."

"Oh?" Heather said.

Silence oozed in, and Hiccup looked toward Astrid. He met her eyes.

"You draw, don't you, sir?" Astrid asked.

"Yeah," Hiccup nodded. "But not like I used to."

"Why not?" Heather scooted a little closer.

"I don't know," Hiccup shrugged. Heather tugged on his hand, sliding her soft fingers in between his.

"Are you depressed?" Heather asked.

"I don't think so."

"Stressed? I bet you are, I mean, all this ceremonial stuff. I'd be stressed out too. I am, but not like you, I'm sure." Her voice was consoling, soft like her hand.

Hiccup blinked. Astrid stared at Heather, her expression unreadable. What did she think about Heather? Astrid understood these girls better than he did.

"I guess I am," Hiccup said. "It's nothing that I can't handle."

Heather's smile twitched upward. "That's good to hear."

X

Astrid had been right. Heather was different than the other girls. Heather seemed nice, but within her tone lied a sinister underbelly. Her intelligence gave her confidence and she spun her words easily, smooth as silk. The kingdom rolled by on the other side of the window's heavy curtain as Heather directed the conversation. She kept asking Hiccup about himself, petting his ego.

Heather's stare turned to ice when Hiccup brought Astrid into their conversation. When Heather snatched back his attention, Astrid would sigh in relief. Astrid looked down at her nails. She didn't have time or energy to worry about them. They were short and stubby and the plain color of flesh, unlike Heather's perfectly shaped and painted nails. She had the time to sit and select paint and probably money to pay someone else to do it.

Suddenly, Hiccup turned to Astrid. "Do I snore?"

She blinked. He looked like he enjoyed Heather's company. She'd seen his displeasure and boredom enough to know what it looked like. Astrid nodded. "A little, sir."

"Ah," Heather nodded.

Heather's displeasure at Astrid's interjection into her conversation displayed vividly on her face for just a moment, when Hiccup looked away. Ice filled her green eyes and her painted lips flattened into a thin line. Hiccup's attention returned to Heather and the grimace vanished, replaced with her bright smile.

X

Heather had picked the botanical gardens for several reasons. The secluded gardens grew in the wealthy side of the kingdom, so they wouldn't be ogled at by common people and those gossip-hounds at the press. The other girls, she had heard, had purposefully picked open places to get their faces and names to the public.

"Have you ever been here?" Heather asked Hiccup, sliding her hand into his as they started to walk. The breeze rustled the green leaves and freckles of sunlight danced along the ground.

"No," Hiccup shook his head.

"Oh, it's a great place. We used to come here every weekend to picnic." Heather guided the walk along the smooth walkway. The royal guards trailed behind, along with that damned maid of his. Why did she even need to come with him?

"It's nice," Hiccup said, looking around.

"There's a quaint little café on the other side," Heather told him. "I thought we'd have a little lunch there."

"That sounds nice."

Heather worried about losing his interest. She remembered what's-her-name complaining about her date with him in the royal garden. Just hearing her talk about it, Heather felt bored. No doubt Hiccup had wanted to claw his eyes out.

These gardens weren't as large, but they were well taken care of. Artful statues were placed periodically, and a few had been made into foundations where the spring birds played. Old trees towered the flowers and manicured bushes. There was less open space, and more places to disappear into. The path wound through an ancient forest, and Heather directed Hiccup this way and that.

"Where are we going?" Hiccup asked, neither worried nor concerned.

Heather looked over her shoulder. "I think we lost them."

Hiccup followed her gaze. The guards and that maid weren't anywhere in sight. Hiccup opened his mouth, a twitch in his brow, but Heather pulled him along before he could complain.

"Come on," Heather interrupted him, urging him off the path. The wide trees and flowering bushes blocked the view from the path. That troublesome excitement bubbled in her stomach. It was now or never.

Heather pushed him against the trunk of an old tree. She knew that her actions could bring negative repercussions, but she doubted that he'd do anything about it. Before he could speak, she blocked his mouth with her own. He hummed against her as she pushed her leg between his, up against his groin, and shoved her tongue passed his unguarded lips.

The wind picked up as she urged him to hardness, feeling it against her thigh. His hands rested calmly on her back. She'd expected him to be more aggressive, like in the stories and rumors. Beth had made it sound as though he attacked her, and Heather would never admit that those stories had churned a yearning in her gut for that wild prince with his charming, hazardous ruthlessness.

Hiccup wasn't going after her, but he wasn't pushing her away, either. Heather reached down between them to his pants and worked him free. He moaned into her mouth as she stroked him, focusing her thumb on the head. Those other girls had been expecting him to make the first move. Heather knew what she wanted: to win. It was her future at stake.

Heather pulled up her skirt, hiking it to her waist, and lifted her thigh to his hips. She felt him, and pushed herself onto him. He moaned into her mouth, hands pushing her down on him. He didn't take long, but it was enough. Heather pretended her own end, gasping appropriately into his ear. She pulled away as he came, not wanting _that_ kind of problem. Hiccup had leaned back, his eyes closed. As the euphoria eased, he opened them, blinking at Heather as if her presence confused him.

"What it that bad?" Heather joked.

"No, no, we should go find them before they start panicking." Hiccup fixed himself and started toward the path.

"Oh, I'm sure they'll be alright. You're a big boy." Heather straightened her skirt.

"If my mom hears anything she'll blame it all on Astrid," Hiccup said as he stepped onto the path, taking long strides.

_Astrid. Of course_. Heather scoffed, but Hiccup didn't seem to hear. She followed Hiccup, taking an extra step to keep up with him, reminding herself to not clench her fists and to smile. The guards weren't that far away, looking relieved and angry to see Hiccup. Astrid sat on the edge of the fountain, on a smooth stone bench. Hiccup's face brightened.

"Young sir, it is unwise to wander off unaccompanied."

"It's fine, I had Heather to defend me." Hiccup smiled. He winked at Astrid and she gave a short shake of her head.

The flustered guards escorted them to the café on the other side of the gardens. Heather fixed herself on Hiccup's arm. They talked, but it was all nonsensical chitchat. Heather couldn't stop thinking about the look on his face when he'd seen Astrid. She didn't want to believe it, but she had seen it first hand, the desperation in his eyes, the neediness, the thirst.

X

The supposed café grew out of the green ground like a stone flower that had been painted a terrible yellow. Astrid gladly accepted the break in the walk. Her feet hurt.

"Hey, I've got to take a break," Hiccup said, gesturing toward the washrooms. Two of the guards followed him.

Heather folded her arms loosely over her torso. The washroom door closed and Astrid jumped when Heather wheeled on her, finger at her collarbone, pointing dangerously. Her icy stare reflected on her face and in her entire posture, like a ravenous beast about to rip out her throat.

"Are you sleeping with him?" Heather hissed.

"What?" Astrid gasped, both embarrassed and confused at the accusation. Red flooded into her face.

"You little wench. The other girls were right, you're fucking the prince, aren't you?" Heather jabbed her in the chest with her pointed finger.

Astrid shook her head before she found the words. She took a step back and her voice returned to her, but came out as an angry spat, "No, I'm not."

Heather huffed and retracted her finger and clenched her fist. Astrid wanted nothing more in that moment than to feel her cheek underneath her knuckles, and watch her stumbled backward as if she'd been beyond such tedious confrontations. Astrid held her fists at her sides, however.

"Whatever," Heather shook her head.

"That is the truth," Astrid said.

"Right, well even _if_ he hasn't, he wants to." Heather crossed her arms. She hissed, "I've seen the way he looks at you."

Astrid's breath caught in her throat, but Hiccup's return halted the conversation. Heather softened as if it'd never happened. Astrid stood back while they sat down to eat, behind Hiccup to avoid his glances. How had he looked at her? He looked at her just like he looked at everyone else. Right?


	12. Chapter 12

A/N – This chapter, oh my goodness. This is one of those scenes that I planned the story around, one of the first that I wrote out. I revised, of course.

Thanks for all the positive reviews! I greatly appreciate your support! Don't forget to leave me a review to know what you think – I love feedback.

X

Chapter 12: Deliberation

Hiccup swallowed his toast with difficulty. The coffee sat half-drank on the tray, and the sound of rushing water bounced from the bathroom. Hiccup drank the rest of the warm coffee in a single gulp, shuttering at the heat, and clanked the cup onto the tray as Astrid came back into the bedroom.

"Sir?"

"Hm?" Hiccup swallowed his spit, trying to ease the burn.

"Your bath is ready," Astrid said with a curt nod.

He doubted whether a bath would help him today. He went anyway, into the steaming bathroom and settled into the hot water, rubbing his fingers into his temples. If he could just stay here forever, or just a few weeks, until this ordeal is over…that'd be fine. Someone would come looking for him, though. Someone always came looking.

He lingered until the water began to cool, and reluctantly stepped out. He wrapped himself in one of his robes, soft like a hug, and retreated into the bedroom. He pressed his fingers into his temples again, but he was unable to ride himself of the stress. He removed them with a loud groan, but stopped dead. Astrid was not the only person in his room.

"Son," Stoick said, hands together, from his seat on the bed.

"Dad? What are you doing here?" Hiccup asked quickly, looking from his father to where Astrid sat in an ornate chair by the desk.

"I came to talk to you," Stoick said as if it were obvious. "About the deliberation period. I was just telling Astrid here that while you are gone she'll return to her regular duties in the castle."

"I was going to take her with me." Hiccup stood under his father's gaze, one that used to make him tremble as a child, and still did, but Hiccup had grown either too stubborn or tall. He could look his father in the eye, not cower at his knees.

Stoick hesitated, inhaling slowly. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Nothing I do is a good idea," Hiccup said flatly. "She's gone on every date with me, she knows these girls, too. I could use someone to bounce ideas off of. She's going with me."

Stoick sighed. "Hiccup, your mother and I discussed this, and-"

"Oh, _she_ doesn't want her to go?" Hiccup spat. "Then she's going. I don't care what the Queen says about it. She'll live."

"It's your reputation at stake, son,"

"No, it's not. It's never been _my_ reputation she's worried about it." Hiccup stomped to the dresser and pulled out the first clothes he saw. "Astrid's going with me. Now, I'd like to get dressed."

Stoick shook his head as he headed toward the bedroom door. He paused with his hand on the knob, then turned back to his son. "Fine. The carriage will leave around noon. I expect you both ready."

Hiccup slumped onto the bed, clothes fisted in his hand.

"Sir?" Astrid asked quietly. After a pause she asked, "What is the deliberation?"

Hiccup sighed and leaned back onto the bed. "It's where they lock me in a cabin in the woods until I've narrowed the number of girls. It's in the grounds somewhere."

"Oh," Astrid shifted in her chair. "I don't have to go with you, sir, I can-"

Hiccup sat up and turned to her. "I want you to go. I don't want to be locked up in some room for a week by myself. We leave at noon, apparently, so if there's anything you want, you're free to go get it."

Astrid gently shook her head. "I don't have anything."

Hiccup watched her eyes fall to the floor, the twitch in her fingers. "That's fine. The cabin should be fully stocked."

X

The sun shone brightly on Berk when Hiccup climbed up into the waiting carriage behind the castle. Astrid brought nothing of her things. What would she have? Her blanket with several holes in it? Her flattened, stained pillow? A helping of her mother's brown breakfast mush? She climbed in after Hiccup and ignored the stares from the small crowd who'd gathered for the send-off. The door shut, and the carriage set off.

The carriage went farther that she'd ever been, which wasn't far, winding through the thickening royal grounds, where the trees trunks were wider than a small room, towering high above them like towers. Hiccup remained silent, his green eyes looking out of the window at the passing greenery. Birds chirped merrily, but they did little to settle the unease in Astrid's stomach.

At long last, the carriage halted. Hiccup immediately jumped for the door, and Astrid followed him. They stood in front of a quaint, elegant log cabin nestled into woody hills. The castle wasn't even visible through the thick vegetation. Hiccup went inside while the driver began to unload the luggage, all Hiccup's. Astrid followed him in, and at once her mouth dropped.

The large head of a brown bear loomed down over the wide stone fireplace. Windows span the wall on either side, floor to ceiling, giving them a fantastic view of the sprawling hillside. The plush seating framed a coffee table in front of the fireplace, sitting on a bear skin that eerily matched the head. A kitchenette took one corner and a little storage room on the other. Downstairs was a large bedroom, upstairs were two smaller ones. Hiccup chose one upstairs, and shouted down that she could sleep wherever she wanted.

"Although," Hiccup said as he jumped back on onto the walkway surrounded the second floor, "There's more than enough room in here for the both of us."

Astrid's cheeks burned. "No, thank you, sir."

His smile faltered, ever so slightly, but did not vanish. He stepped back into the bedroom, and said, "Make me a cup of tea or something."

"Yes, sir," Astrid nodded, unsure if he heard her.

She stepped to the little kitchen and rummaged through the well-stocked cabinets until she found a tin of tea, an infuser, and something to boil the water. Hiccup jogged back down the stairs as she poured the steaming water into a large mug.

"It is almost ready, sir."

"That's fine," Hiccup said as he plunged down onto the couch.

Astrid waited a few moments of silence before bringing the tea to him, and setting it down on the table. She glanced up at him, and her stare startled her.

"If we're going to be talking about my future, I'm going to need something stronger than tea." Hiccup glanced toward the kitchen. "Go find something stronger than tea."

"Yes, sir." Astrid walked back toward the kitchen cabinets, feeling his piercing stare on her back. She looked a while, finally coming across a dusty bottle of wine in the storage room.

"That's what I'm talking about," Hiccup motioned for the bottle. After a short debacle of finding a bottle opener, Hiccup drank straight from the bottle. "Alright, where should I start?"

Astrid sat down opposite him as he tipped the bottle up again. The level of liquor swished inside the dark glass, lower and lower. "I suppose, yesterday. Heather seemed nice."

Hiccup choked. He coughed and recovered quickly, laughing. "Right, I'm sure my mother didn't have _anything_ to do with that."

Astrid blinked. She looked down at her hands. Hiccup gulped the wine. "Sir, I have a question, though."

"What?"

"If Heather is your mother's niece, is she not your cousin?"

Hiccup laughed. "I guess, legally, she is. But my mother's brother was adopted or something. So Heather's not related to me by blood."

"Oh," Astrid nodded. Well, that made her feel a little better.

"I still don't like her because of my mother and their ganging up on me like that," Hiccup spat, half the bottle gone. "Yeah, Heather _seems_ nice, but she's got that manipulative bitch thing going on too, just like my mother. I don't want to spend the rest of my life with her."

Astrid fingered a frayed string on her skirt as Hiccup took another swig. "I always thought royal marriages were about political ties, not really love."

Hiccup's face fell. "I guess not." He sighed and leaned back. "My entire life has been planned out. What I wear, where I go, who goes with me, when I go, and who I talk to, and who I marry. It's like I don't have any freedom at all."

Astrid inhaled, the air sharp with sweet wine. "You can pick who you marry-"

"My wife has already been chosen for me," Hiccup spat, taking a long gulp from the bottle. "Those girls, they're all the same, fucking airheads, who know nothing about anything expect sitting and being pretty, like my mother, and I'd rather give the throne to Snotlout then marry my mother." Hiccup ran a hand through his hair, moving more than usual, in jittery, nervous motions. "They're so…fake. They aren't here for me. They're here for the throne. They could care less about me, they don't give a damn."

Hiccup's face fell into his hands and the nearly finished bottle crashed down onto the table. Astrid's hand darted out to catch it before it careened over.

Swallowing, Astrid tried at words, but they tasted so small and silly. "Maybe they are trying so hard to be something they think you'll like, so that their true selves aren't showing through." A green eye peeked up at her through his hands. She swallowed, her throat dry. "They want you to think they're perfect, in every way, thus making them the right choice."

Hiccup looked up at her, his eyes loose and his hair a mess. He swayed on his seat, but somehow managed to remain sitting. "You don't do that. You're you, all the time."

"I-I not trying to win your hand in a room full of equally beautiful women, trying to make myself stand out." Astrid could smell the wine on his breath.

"There are no women equally beautiful as you." Hiccup blinked several times, leaning back, as if surprised by his own words. His brow softened and his lips slackened.

_He's drunk_. Heat burned through her face, and Astrid stood up quickly, taking the bottle from his reach. "I will make you a fresh cup of tea."

"Okay, but only if you'll join me." Hiccup watched her walk to the counter, and Astrid set the bottle it, watching the little bit left swish around in her shaking grip.

X

Astrid cleaned up the dishes of their late lunch while Hiccup slept off his wine. The door to his bedroom stood open, and his gentle snores floated through. Astrid reached for the tea tin and waited for the water to boil. She poured the steaming water over the delicious smelling leaves and watched them float in the infuser, soaking their dark flavors into the water. She inhaled deeply. Apricot?

She let the tea steep and walked to the window. The sun eased down the sky, shading them inside the warm early sunset glow. It illuminated the forest top and grasslands, like some kind of heavenly otherworld. Humming, she slowly meandered toward the tea and removed the infuser, bringing the sweet smelling cup to her nose. She took a small sip. It was much better than any her mother had made.

This little palace was so peaceful, so secluded, she felt like her own private country, away from Berk and its politics. She could stay here for a long while. She set the tea down and finished the dishes, humming as she went. With them all done and drying, she reached for the tea.

A squeak on the stairs whirled her around. Hiccup was standing on the bottom stair, shirtless, his bare toes sticking out from his pants hem. His sudden appearance startled her, and she dropped the half-drank tea onto the floor, where it shattered. Hiccup took a step into the room.

"I'm so sorry, sir," Astrid fumbled to the floor to pick up the hot pieces. Hiccup passed the couch, and she put a hand up to stop him. "No, sir, stay where you are."

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"You're not wearing shoes, sir," Astrid said, pointing to the sharp shards on the floor.

He paused, and she quickly picked up as many pieces as she could hold, and dropped them into the sink. With a towel, she mopped up the tea and any remaining tiny pieces of the cup.

"Do you need something?" Astrid asked, breathless, dropping the towel into the sink, too.

"No, no, I-I couldn't sleep."

"I could make some herbal tea," Astrid grinned, washed her hands off in the sink.

"No, I'm fine," Hiccup said quietly as he sat on the couch.

Astrid took the biggest pieces and dropped them into the trash. Hiccup sat with his head dropped into his hands. "Is something bothering you, sir?"

He hesitated, looking over his fingers at the opposite wall. Finally, he nodded, "Yeah, I guess so."

"What is it, sir?" Astrid took a step toward him, thinking his troubles were amplified by the bottle of wine he'd drank, the same bottle she'd finished while he slept.

"I'm not sure you'll want to hear it." Hiccup looked at her, his eyes heavy and tired.

Astrid hesitated. "Try me."

"Okay," Hiccup said with a little nod of his head. "I was lying there, thinking, about this entire thing, and the stress, and then…I thought how easy this would have been if you'd just been one of them."

Astrid caught the breath before is fell out of her mouth in a gasp. "Sir-"

Hiccup groaned and jumped to his feet, swaying slightly. "When Heather pulled me away, she shoved me into this clearing and fucked me against this tree, but the whole time I kept picturing you. I wanted her to be you."

Hiccup had closed the space between them, a bright sadness in his eyes, his shoulders slumped and entire body seem to droop. He looked up at her, hands reaching, falling around her waist. He crashed against her, pressing his lips against her gasping mouth, holding her close in his still drunken embrace. Wine still clung to his lips.

With nowhere for her hands to go, they settled on his shoulders. His skin burned underneath her palms. He pulled away for a breath and when he leaned it again, she turned her head so that his lips fell onto her cheek. He trembled, and she feared that pushing him away would send him tumbling to the ground. He left a hot kiss on her cheek, and his head fell onto her shoulder.

Astrid pulled one of his arms over her shoulder and tucked her arm around his waist, guiding him toward the stairs. They took the stairs one at a time and at the top she led him back into his bedroom. The sheets were scattered and one of the pillows had been thrown into the floor.

Hiccup mumbled drunkenly.

"You need rest, sir," Astrid said as she sat him down on the bed. He collapsed, one hand still clinging limply onto her.

"Stay with me," Hiccup mumbled from the bed, half of his face buried in the pillow.

"I'm not going anywhere," Astrid said, a hand on his that grasped her. She undid his fingers and placed his hand on the bed. "I'll wake you up for breakfast."

Hiccup did not object, and in moments his gentle snores filled the dark room. Astrid pulled the door almost closed and retreated to the kitchen, falling against the counter. Her heart beat madly against her chest and her skin burned from his touch. The sweet wine ticked her lips.

Astrid decided on the bedroom across the way from Hiccup's, and nestled into the large bed the same size as her family's entire sleeping space. The blankets were soft and warm. The little bathroom's toothpaste fizzled on her tongue, leaving a strange numbness in her gums. All of these things were above her, and using them felt like an invasion on the royal family, like a trespasser. Those thoughts vanished, however, as she fell into an easy sleep.

When she woke, the sun shone through the curtains at a low angle, and everything seemed gray-blue. She hugged the blanket around her and thought about staying until someone came to find her. That was silly, however, and she pushed the covers down to walk to the window. The sun barely poked over the east.

Hiccup slept a good deal the night before, and he'd be waking up anytime. She might as well begin that breakfast she told him about. Back in the kitchen, she gathered what she knew and started on a simple meal, toast and eggs and coffee. When the food was done she poured the boiling water into the coffee press, and heading upstairs to wake up the prince.

Nudging the door open, she saw him still in bed, a sleeping lump in the middle.

"Prince?" Astrid asked softly. "Sir?"

He stirred. She stepped over to him and gently laid a hand against this shoulder.

"Sir?"

He hummed and rolled over, red eyes tired.

"Breakfast is ready, sir."

He hummed something of an answer and started to scoot out, bringing the blanket with him. He made it downstairs without tripping over it, sniffing the air as he made it to the counter.

"Do you want something for your head?"

"Hm? No, no," Hiccup waved at her. "The best cure for a hangover is more booze, didn't you know?" Hiccup grinned, and vanished into the storage room. He returned with an unlabeled green bottle. He uncorked it at the counter and took a long swig of it. "That's the stuff, try it."

Astrid hesitated, but he pushed the bottle into her hands. She brought it to her lips, under his stare, and drank it. "Oh,"

"Right?"

"That's not bad." Astrid swallowed, the sweet, sweet taste lingering on her tongue. "It's strong, though."

"Yeah." Hiccup said, taking another gulp. "It's made somewhere in Berk, it's my favorite."

"Try to go slowly, this time, please sir?" Astrid said, putting her hand up as he took another swig.

"Alright," Hiccup sighed, setting the bottle down. He looked down at the simple spread. "Hey, let's have a picnic outside."

He didn't give her an option, and she grabbed the tray and followed him and the green bottle outside. He choose a spot on the other side of the house, in front of the windows, where the sunrise warmed up the hillside. He took the blanket he'd worn around his shoulder and spread it out on the dew-damp grass. He sat down and patted the place beside him.

They ate, and drank, as the sun rose higher. The birds came to life around them as the night bugs quieted. A breeze fluttered through the late spring leaves. After the plates and bottle were empty, they lay back on the blanket, watching the puffy white clouds snail-race across the sky.

Astrid blinked, glancing over at Hiccup. His eyes were closed. A lump formed in her throat as the night before replayed in her mind. Had he been serious? Or drunk? Was he trying to sweet talk his way between her legs? Still, something tugged when he looked at her, something stirred at those big green eyes of his, poking something inside of her with fire. Something inexplicable resounded at his name. His company no longer worried her, but held a strange comfort.

Hiccup stirred, and blinked as something mumbled passed through lips. He stretched, saying "You look sad."

Maybe it was him, maybe it was the wine. Astrid acted on those sudden, liquid feelings, and leaned forward, kissing him. Hiccup kissed her back, and in a moment he was leaning into her, pushed her back onto the blanket. His lips tangled with hers, his hands touched her face, and her ran through his hair and traced his jaw and bare shoulders. He took control, kissing her as feverish as gently, snaking one arm behind her neck.

Hiccup paused, lips hesitant above hers.

"I'm sorry," Astrid whispered.

Hiccup smiled, and pecked her lips. "Do you mean it?"

"I don't know." Suddenly, she shook. His weight frightened her. The proximity of her breath suffocated.

Hiccup climbed off of her, but did not let go. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her with him as he laid back down on the blanket. His warm chest solidified her, his strong hand held her. She rested her cheek against his shoulder, as the breath in his chest rose and fell. His heart beat underneath her fingertips, thump, thump.


	13. Chapter 13

A/N – I'm really sorry about the long wait! I wanted to give the ending to _A Change of Scenery _the proper TLC that it needed. But, now that it's finished I can dive back into this story! Whoo! I'm glad that you all are liking this story. At first, I thought it would be silly and campy but it didn't turn out that way and I'm glad. Thanks for being patient!

X

Chapter 13: Uninvited Guest

The sun rose in the east, steadily, across the partly cloudy sky. Astrid watched it climb, watched the royal grounds come to life. Birds chirped and flew overhead and vanished into the topmost branches. Astrid watched them all lazily, as if through someone else's eyes. Underneath her cheek beat Hiccup's steady heart. His arms cradled her and held her, but she had no fear of being trapped. She had no desire to move.

His hand laid gently on her shoulder. His fingers played with a loose strand of golden hair. The meal that had been spread out before them was finished and the bottle of local Berk booze had been recorked, half empty.

Astrid did not fall asleep, although she certainly thought she might. She remained with him, and with every passing peaceful moment, she knew it couldn't last.

"Hiccup," Astrid said softly.

"Hmm?" He hummed, releasing her hair from his light grip and letting his hand fall back onto her shoulder.

"You need to at least try to get some work done today," Astrid said as she sat up, pulling away from him.

Hiccup remained on his back, eyes looking up at the swaying branches in the breeze. He shut them and folded an arm over his eyes. "I guess so."

"Come on," Astrid stood up. "I'll help you."

Hiccup followed Astrid inside. He watched her search the cabin until she found what she sought: blank paper. She set the stack down on the coffee table. Hiccup blankly looked from it to her.

"Take one piece of paper for each girl," Astrid said, motioning to the stack. "And make notes. Pros and cons. Then separate them into piles, yes, no, and maybe."

Astrid pointed to the table and Hiccup followed her finger as she motioned to each future pile in turn. At first he sat nothing, and a lump pushed against her throat. His blank stare focused on the paper and the pencil she'd set down, before it flickered to her. She held his stare, although it made her want to hide somewhere.

"Do we have to do this right now?" Hiccup asked. "Can't it wait? Like…a week or two?"

Astrid suck in her breath. "The sooner you do this the sooner this will be over, right?"

Hiccup's expression darkened, but remained unreadable. His voice was barely audible, "Okay."

He plopped down on the couch. He took the first piece of paper and looked at it, as if the information would appear before him. Astrid sat down in front of him and handed him the pencil.

"Where should I even start?" Hiccup groaned.

"The first," Astrid said. "What was her name? The flower girl."

"I don't know," Hiccup shrugged. He wrote at the top of the paper, Flower Girl.

"What did you like about her?" Astrid asked, trying to help him alone.

Hiccup sighed and shook his head. "Not a lot."

"Surely there was something good about her?" Astrid asked.

"She was an airhead," Hiccup said. "I don't care about flowers and that's all she talked about."

"Okay, then I guess write that down?" Astrid shrugged.

Through the same process, each girl had her nickname written on the top of a paper with Hiccup's notes underneath. Some had more than others, although as Astrid watched and listened, most of them were negative. Obnoxious. Stupid. Makeup too heavy. Annoying voice. Harsh laugh. Rude. Expectant. Needy. Each girl's paper lay scattered among the others on the table. He sorted a few, most of which landed in the 'no' pile, one landed in the 'maybe.' No one occupied the 'yes' pile.

"I'm going to think about starting lunch while you sort these, okay?" Astrid asked, standing. Hiccup nodded as he tossed another one into the 'no' pile.

Astrid trotted to the kitchen and looked through the cabinets. She wasn't very hungry. Eating more than one meal a day had been a change, but she wasn't going to complain. What would happen when she went back to one? She pushed back those thoughts and gathered what she needed for stew. She could make stew. It was easy, right? Throw some vegetables and cream into a pot and bubble it until the vegetable are soft?

She chopped the vegetables and warmed the cream on the stove. She stirred the stew to the sound of pencil on paper, and paper against paper. She let her thoughts wander to that morning. He had kissed her, and then she had kissed him. Had her actions been her own? Were his? Was it the alcohol? What did it mean? She watched the stew bubble, not realizing the stiffness in her legs or the pain in her feet. How long had she been standing?

She deemed the stew ready, she arranged a tray with two bowls and drinking water. She carried it carefully to the table and set it down on the only corner not occupied by paper-girls. Hiccup looked at the papers, but his attention was entirely elsewhere. Astrid ducked a spoon into his bowl.

"That smells good," Hiccup said quietly.

Astrid looked up at him, but his eyes hadn't moved. She swallowed against her dry throat. "Thank you, sir." After a dense moment of silence, she added, "My mother says I'm not a very good cook."

Hiccup smirked. "My mother says I'm not very good at plenty of things." His smile faltered. "You're a fine cook."

Hiccup took his bowl and spooned the stew into his mouth. He coughed, but recovered, and forcefully swallowed the stew. He took a long drink of water.

Astrid sighed and nodded.

"You're a better cook than me," Hiccup half-laughed. He ate another spoonful. "I-I'm just used to the professions in the kitchen, you know?"

"Yeah," Astrid said. "The food you eat makes mine that much worse." She took a bit of the stew. It wasn't much better than her mother's morning goop. She trailed the stew with water enough to drown the taste.

They fell again into an uncomfortable silence. Or, at least Astrid felt it. Did he? Astrid looked at him. His green eyes looked unblinkingly at the table, at the nicknames, at the qualities Hiccup found unattractive. He sat completely still. Not even his eyes moved. If it wasn't for the gentle motion of his breathing, he could have passed for a painting.

Astrid stood up and returned to their picnic and brought the dirty dishes inside. She tossed the blanket into the hamper. She washed the dishes, and when there was nothing else to do, she returned to the couch. Hiccup hadn't moved.

She couldn't handle this quiet. At last she asked, "How's it coming?"

"I don't know," Hiccup grumbled. He sat back and ran his hands through his hair, leaving it a mess. "I'm trying…but it's just not happening."

"Which one are you thinking about?" Astrid's hands shook, and she set the cup down on the tray before she spilled it. Why did she tremble? She curled her hands onto her lap.

He didn't seem to notice. Hiccup blinked and grabbed a piece of paper. Astrid was sure he'd grabbed one at random, but she didn't ask him. He held it up and read, "Big Ears."

"Oh, the girl from the boat?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup nodded. "I don't know anything about her except that she gets seasick."

"She might have redeeming qualities," Astrid said. "She seemed adamant when she apologized."

"I guess so," Hiccup sighed and tossed her into the 'maybe' pile.

"Your discard pile is quite large," Astrid noted. Art Girl lay on top.

"Yeah," Hiccup shrugged. "Well, they should've found better girls."

"You haven't found one you like?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup groaned and buried his face in his hands. At once, Astrid regretted asking him. He groaned again into his hands and dropped them to his sides as he fell backward into the couch.

"I don't understand it," Hiccup said, his tone deflated and defeated. "I'm trying to sort them out, but every time I start thinking about the pros and cons I keep…comparing them."

"Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" Astrid asked, carefully.

"To each other, I think. I don't know." Hiccup shook his head. His green eyes settled on her, and his uncertain look made her tremble. She'd never seen such sadness on him before. "I just… I keep comparing them to you."

"But why?" Astrid asked. The trembling in her gut worked its way up and out into her limbs, consuming her entire being. "Why me?"

Hiccup's mouth opened and he gently shook his head, but no words came out. He blinked several times, and grabbed a fistful of his hair and pulled at it. "I-I don't know, it's just…this weird and crazy feeling when I'm around you. I keep thinking about you and I-I don't know what to do about it."

Astrid bit her lip. "Hiccup, sir, is it just about the sex?" If she just let him sleep with her, would it make things better? Would this stop?

Hiccup stood up so quickly that Astrid jumped back, and a few of the papers scooted across the table. "It's not sex, Astrid! It's you! I'd rather be with you and not have sex than be with any other girl. I don't know, I don't understand…I don't know how I should feel or what this is!" Hiccup dropped his hands and spun to face her. "I-I think I love you."

Astrid didn't even try to speak. Her thoughts had gone, left her with an empty confusion that bounced off the inside of her, and landed somewhere in the void.

"I know what I should be doing, this girl-hunting thing," Hiccup said as he gestured to the paper-strewn table. "But I want to put this off as long as I can because I'd get to stay out here, away from all of them, and just be with you."

Astrid remained silent, even as Hiccup watched her with glistening eyelids. He stepped around the couch and over to her, and plopped down beside her. He reached for her hands and held them.

"Astrid?" He almost pleaded. "Please, say something."

"Sir," Astrid said, her voice shaken.

"No, no, just call me Hiccup. I want to hear you say my name." Hiccup whispered.

She inhaled and her breath hitched. "H-Hiccup, I can't…we can't…"

"We can't what?" Hiccup said. "We can't be together? Why not?"

"You're you and I'm me," Astrid said. "You're the Prince, you'll be the King. I'm just…I'm a servant, I'm not…"

"You're not what?" Hiccup asked, his impatient showing through. "You're not queen material? You think these girls are? They're figure heads, fucking airheads. I don't like them, not like you. You're different."

She shook and his stare relentlessly bore into her. What should she say? Her tongue refused to work and whatever part of her made words had shut down entirely.

Hiccup closed his eyes and shook his head. He stood and let go of her hands. He took several limply steps and meandered back to the other side of the couch and leaned onto the back.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup said suddenly. "I-I shouldn't have said anything. It doesn't matter."

Astrid dug her nails into her palm, willing herself to speak, but the words wouldn't come. What should she even say? She inched toward him, but her legs had somehow failed her.

"I just thought that…this morning," Hiccup motioned in the air as a shrug rattled through his torso. "That you might, I don't know… Just forget about it. I'm going to take a bath."

Astrid sat frozen while she watched Hiccup walk across the room and vanish behind a door. Water ran and slowly her body came back to her. She flexed her hands to make sure they still listened to her, and carefully stood. The walk to the bathroom door took longer than it should have, and she stood in front of the wood as the world swayed around her.

What the hell was she doing?

She closed her hand around the handle and pushed it open, half-falling into the steamed bathroom. The room on the other side was large, with a stone tub set into the floor on one side and a well-lit counter on the other. Hiccup sat in the tub and at the sight of her his eyes widened and he leaned onto the side.

"Yes?" He asked quickly.

"I wanted to talk to you," Astrid said quickly.

"Talk away," Hiccup nodded.

Astrid looked away from him. "You said that you loved me, but…I can't say that back. I can't…" She exhaled. Her words had been forgotten between creation and the steam. She steadied herself and forced her voice to be stern. "You're the Prince. I'm just…I'm not…we couldn't be more than what we are now."

"I see," Hiccup said.

She turned to see him staring at her. "Now what?"

"I don't know," Hiccup shrugged. His voice dropped and water swished. "I've never felt like this before. I admit, my favorite part of the dates was being with you. I know I shouldn't, but I do. You're the best among them, Astrid. You're witty, stubborn, and say what you think. You're beautiful, whether you know it or not, more so than any of them, of any girl I've met."

While he spoke, the lump in her throat returned and tightened.

"I want more than just a nursemaid," Hiccup said plainly. "I want you to be more than that."

"I can't," Astrid said, her voice barely a whisper.

"I know," Hiccup said, downcast. "Will you stay with me, regardless? No matter who I marry?"

Astrid turned to face him. The helpless expression on his face tore her in two. She said, "Where else would I go? I was born a servant. I'll away be a servant."

"You don't have to stay here," Hiccup said quietly. "I'd prefer it you did, though."

"I wouldn't make it in the city," Astrid said, remembering her mother's warnings. "I'd end up on the streets, begging and selling myself to eat."

Hiccup hung his head. "I wouldn't let that happen."

Astrid sat down in a chair by the vanity. "How?"

"I'll take care of you," Hiccup looked up at her. "I promise. No matter what happens."

Disbelief stung at her chest. She wanted to believe him, but he was Prince Hiccup, infamous rascal and threat to morality. She did not speak her concerns, but merely nodded, "Okay. Thank you, sir."

"Please, Astrid, call me Hiccup," he said. His voice dropped, "And…it's probably better that you don't love me back. It would just cause more problems."

She agreed, although at the words her chest tightened and wriggled into her gut. "The girls already hate me."

Hiccup laughed, the sound filling the bathroom and echoing off the walls. His crooked smile lit up his entire face. "See? You're not just any servant. Even these big powerful society girls feel intimidated by you."

"I suppose that's something." Astrid nodded. She stood to leave. "I'll let you get back to your bath."

"No, no, stay in here and talk to me. I enjoy your company." Hiccup smiled, and it widened when she sat back down. "You know, this tub is plenty big enough for two people."

Astrid blushed. "Not today, sir."

"Call me 'sir' one more time and I will order you into this tub with me." Hiccup pretended to be angry, pointing a finger at her, but his smile pushed through the façade. He cleared his throat. "Seriously, I will."

Astrid smiled, heat pushing against the inside of her skin. "I don't doubt that."

X

Hiccup pulled pants over his legs and marched back out to the main room without his shirt. It felt good to not wear one and not feel like he had to wear one. There was no one here to scold him for not wearing shoes or a shirt or a belt. This was his mini-castle and he was King. No one told him what to do or not do.

If he was King of his cabin, then Astrid would be his Queen. The trees outside were subjects, silent and vigilant, and ever loyal. They didn't need servants. They didn't need anyone. Hiccup looked to the closed bathroom door where Astrid bathed. He had to fight the urge to walk in, just as she had done to him, but he didn't mind her seeing him naked. She, on the other hand, would likely throw something. Knowing her, she would hit him with it, too.

Hiccup puffed his chest out and strode to the window, mimicking his father's impressive walk that cleared crowds and halls. He stood at the window and gazed out at his kingdom, so peaceful and orderly.

Except…Hiccup's eyes fell on a tiny moving dot, lumbering more than walking, along the forest floor. It swayed this way and that and every other step caused a limp. Hiccup watched the creature struggle out of the underbrush and into the cabin's small sunlit yard.

It was a tiny cat, the smallest Hiccup had seen. He assumed the animal had not seen him at the window, for it meandered as it had before. It limped, and patches of dark fur were missing. The skin pulled taut across its ribs and sharp hips jutted out from its back. It swayed back and forth and vanished around the side of the cabin.

Hiccup stood at the window. One if his subjects was in trouble. What should he do? Not minding his bare feet, Hiccup took long strides to the front door and pulled it open. He spotted the tiny cat at the edge of the forest, only this time it stood stiff. Two large, yellow-green eyes watched him.

"Hey," Hiccup said. Suddenly, he didn't know what to do. He knew nothing about animals. His father had never let him have one. "You look hungry. Wait there, I'll be right back."

Hiccup left the front door open and when he reappeared on the threshold with a saucer of Astrid's stew, the cat had drawn a short ways closer. Hiccup slowly set the saucer on the ground, but the cat didn't move. Hiccup backed away to the doorway, and watched as the cat carefully, one paw at a time, came closer. Those big eyes remained on Hiccup until it arrived at the stew. A small, quick pink tongue darted into the creamy soup and back.

"You like that?" Hiccup asked. He chuckled. "At least someone does."

Thinking too late, Hiccup whipped his head around to see if Astrid had sneaked out of the bathroom. She hadn't.

X

I know – but if Toothless isn't a dragon then he's a cat. It's a fact.


	14. Chapter 14

A/N – I aimed for last weekend, but I was super busy – birthdays and weddings (not my own). I sat today aside for writing things and I actually woke up before dawn so I had a great start. I mean, it's not even noon and I've got a chapter done. How's that for accomplishment?

As far as updates go, I'm been busy and I'll continue to be busy with my grad classes started in a couple weeks and my boss wants me to go to training class, and I'm working hard to get my novel ready for publication. I'm leaning toward self-publishing and I've found a pretty good company that will take care of a lot of the work. I'll keep you all updated on that as it happens.

Enough and me and my life – onward to the story! I think you guys will really like this one.

X

Chapter 14: Bluff

Astrid lay her head back against the smooth stone tub. She ran her fingertips along the smooth bottom, through the hot water.

_I think I love you. _

How did he _think_ that? Was it another ploy to undress her? Why didn't it bother her like it should? No one but her parents had ever said those words to her, and even they said them scarcely. What did that mean to him? What did those words mean to him? Was it the same as her? Although, she didn't know what they meant to her.

When he'd said them, she lost her voice. Everything came to a sudden, crashing halt, even the floor felt distant. Even now, after the words had floated away, she still felt shaken. What now? How should she proceed? Could he love his maid and marry someone else?

Marriage. In a way, she connected love to marriage. Her parents loved each other and they were married as were the couple across the hall, and several others. She assumed that they all loved the one they married. That's how it all worked, right? There were several servants who were not married. They didn't seem upset about it. Did that then mean they did not have someone they loved?

What it would be like to be married to Hiccup? He would remain a prince until his father either died or stepped down, and then he would be King. Would that make Astrid a princess? What did they do? Then someday she would be Queen. Hiccup's mother was ruthless and vicious, bitter like a stepped-on snake. Is that how queens were supposed to be?

Or would it mean nothing, as if Astrid hadn't existed, and someone else would become Queen? Someone of meaningful background and noble birth.

Astrid sank down into the tub. What would it be like to be a maid to a man that loved her? While he married and slept with another woman every night? Astrid would still bring coffee, probably, to him and his dearest. It all drummed inside her head. There had to be more to life than this. If there wasn't, then what the hell was the point?

The water began to cool and Astrid knew she'd have to face Hiccup sooner or later. She climbed out of the tub and dried herself on a soft towel and wrapped it around her middle. She reached for her folded clothes, but hesitated. A horrible thought struck; if she slept with Hiccup, would he no longer love her? Did he love all the girls before he slept with them? Was love congruent to sex? If he had her, and no longer loved her, being his maid would be simpler. She wouldn't have to worry about it anymore.

God, is this what he's done to her? Worn her down into contemplating just giving herself to him? Astrid took a long breath and rubbed her face. Fine. Astrid reached for the door and pulled it open. She stepped out into the hallway in just the towel, to test him. If he wanted her that badly, he could have her.

Astrid stepped into the main room expecting him to stare, to gawk, to jump her and pull the towel away and throw it out of her reach. But, to her surprise, he didn't. Instead, he knelt on the floor with his cheek pressed against the rug, looking underneath the couch, small ass in the air.

"Come on," Hiccup said softly, in a high pitch that Astrid had never heard before. Hiccup patted the floor beside him.

"What are you doing?" Astrid asked, thinking Hiccup had lost his mind. That would explain his earlier declaration of love.

Hiccup straightened up quickly. "I was just…uh," he mumbled as he blinked. He caught his racing words and pointed to the couch. "I was just talking to Toothless."

"Who?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup cleared his throat. His green eyes flickered between her and the couch. "There should be some spare clothes around here if you want something clean to wear. But, I mean, you don't have to get hasty. You could, you know, enjoy the breeze of not wearing pants, or a shirt."

Astrid had nearly forgotten about the towel she wore, or her test, and a bright pink flushed into her cheeks, along with a horrible sense of foolishness. "I-I'll find something to wear."

She took a step to the bedroom when something dark poked out from underneath the couch by her feet. Two big green eyes stared up at her and a sharp meow rolled off a tony pink tongue. Astrid jumped back, and she felt the towel loosen with the sudden action. She snatched fistfuls of the material and held it firmly to her chest. It sagged dangerously low along her back, but she'd saved herself the humiliation.

"Alright, Toothless," Hiccup grinned. He stepped around and picked up the small black cat and stroked its head, winking at Astrid. "Maybe with a little more growl next time she'll drop the whole towel." He turned to Astrid, and in a profession tone he added, "Which you are free to do regardless, if you'd like. I'll only stare a little."

She feigned a laugh, and walked passed him to the bedroom and swiftly closed the door behind her. She clutched the towel for a long while, only dropping it when she had discovered something else to wear in the armoire. The soft, plain material wrapped around her skin like the towel had, an extravagance beyond her capacity. Even the expendable royals' clothing exceeded her own.

Dressed, she tiptoed back into the main room. Hiccup sat on the floor in front of the couch while Toothless sprawled out between his legs, tail flipping this way and that, paws in the air ready to defend against tickling fingers.

"Where did you find a cat?" Astrid asked from the hall. Toothless's ears perked at once and he jumped onto his feet, eyes wide and staring at her.

Hiccup's hand rested on the cat's head, but the stare remained. "I saw him through the window."

"And you just let him come inside?" Astrid raised a brow.

"No, he did that on his own. I just opened the door." Hiccup shrugged. His eyes flickered to the sun-lit window. "He came limping out of the woods and he looked hungry, and I gave him some of your stew. He liked it."

"Oh," Astrid said.

"What?" Hiccup asked over his shoulder.

Astrid bit her lip. "I just…didn't picture you as the stray-cat kind of person."

Hiccup's brows came together and his lips twitched downward. "What do you mean?"

His stare intensified. She quickly explained, "I don't mean that as an insult, just as…an observation. From your previous actions, adopting a stray cat seems…out of character."

"How so?"

Astrid swallowed, wishing for the words to explain herself without insulting him further. "You just…you're not…well, you don't seem very…charitable."

"Charitable?" Hiccup repeated, as if he'd never heard it before. His chest lifted and fell with each even breath and he paused, lips parted, starting at her. "You don't think I'm nice?"

Astrid gapped at him, knowing whatever words she used would only dig her deeper. However, her silence made it much worse. Hiccup exhaled quickly and returned his attention to the cat that pawed at his hand.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Astrid asked, pointing at the cat.

"No, he's been de-clawed, I think." Hiccup fingered one of the cat's feet and then nodded.

"No wonder he looked so beaten up," Astrid said.

"I'll get take him to one of those cat doctors when we get back," Hiccup sighed.

"Cat doctor?"

"Yeah, you know, cat experts or whatever."

Astrid blinked. She'd never been to an actual doctor herself, and the thought that some people took their _pets_ to the doctor seems outrageous. But she pushed that thought aside. "Speaking of, when do you plan on going back to the castle?"

"When they come to drag me back," Hiccup grinned at her. When she did not return his smile, his faded. "You know, I was thinking that the three of us could go on a hike today."

"A hike?"

"Yeah, they're plenty of room to wander around in these woods and never be found," Hiccup said. "Besides, I could use some outside time. We could picnic, or come back here and eat so you don't have to carry a basket the whole time, or just whatever we felt like."

"That sounds nice," Astrid said. "When do you want to leave?"

"It doesn't matter," Hiccup shrugged. He stood up and Toothless leapt onto the couch beside him, standing against his knees. "But now I guess is as good a time as any."

Hiccup scourged a shirt from his room and met Astrid in the kitchen. He led the way outside and into the warm afternoon air. The bright sun lit the greenery around them as he wound a path through the forest. Birds and early insects chirped and buzzed and jittered. A stream ran alongside a narrow path, nearly overgrown by brush, and after about an hour's hike they came out to a small bluff. The water ran off of it and into a river below.

"Follow me," Hiccup said, nudging Astrid gently with his hand as he walked by. He knelt to the side of the bluff as it the rock dipped underneath a gaggle of tree roots. He used the roots as a ladder down to the bluff's bottom.

Astrid took one step on to the roots, and Toothless jumped passed her. He nimbly navigated the roots and landed on the rock beside Hiccup's feet in less time than it took her to make a single step.

"Don't worry, I'll catch you if you fall," Hiccup said below.

_If I fell, I'd crush you_, Astrid thought. "Thanks."

One root at a time, and she made it to the floor. Hiccup caught her even though she hadn't fallen. His hands landed on her waist and his chest pressed against her back. With his touch, her heart raced.

"That wasn't so bad," Hiccup said in her ear.

"No," Astrid agreed. "It wasn't."

The water cascaded down into the river, splattering on the rock on which they stood. The shallow river wound through the forest and out of sight in both directions. Toothless trotted to the water's edge and pawed at it, and then dove in with a splash. His little black ears popped out of the water as he swam to a small rock a few feet away and climbed onto it, soaking and dripping.

Hiccup laughed. "I've never see a cat that liked water before."

Astrid laughed too, although at Toothless, who looked skinnier than he had before, with his black fur all pointed downward. He proceeded to jump back into the water and paddle around it, from rock to rock. Hiccup sat down so quickly that Astrid at first though he'd fallen. He pulled off his shoes and socks and then his shirt, and then to Astrid's surprise, his pants. Naked, he jumped into the water.

He burst through the surface laughed, hair plastered against this face. He brushed it back and grinned back at her. "Come on!"

Astrid took a step back onto the rock. "W-what?"

Hiccup laughed, "You've never skinny dipped before?"

"I don't know what that means," Astrid shook her head.

"Swim naked," Hiccup said as though it were common knowledge.

"No, I haven't." Astrid balled her fists in her shirt.

"Come on, it's fun!"

"No!"

"When will you get the chance to do something fun again? This is the only time that someone's not watching you constantly to make sure you're doing your job. Come on, Astrid, let loose, have some fun. Break a rule or two," Hiccup urged, his smile never leave his face.

"But, I just took a bath."

"That's an excuse!" Hiccup pointed. "And so did I. We can take another one later. Come on!"

Astrid pouted.

Hiccup swam a little closer and lowered his voice. "Come on, Astrid. It's fun, I promise."

Astrid clenched her shirt tighter. "It's not the fun I'm worried about." She watched a drop of water run down his neck, along his collarbone and down his chest.

Hiccup grinned and raised both hands into the air. "I won't touch you, I promise. Unless you start drowning then I will save you. Or, unless you ask me to, or if you touch me first."

Astrid held his gaze. "Okay."

Hiccup inhaled and ran his eyes over her.

"Turn around," Astrid said quickly.

Hiccup shrugged, a little disappointed, and turned around in the water. Astrid waited a moment to see if he would turn back around at the last moment, and slowly lifted her shirt over her head. Keeping her eyes on Hiccup, she pushed the pants down her legs and pulled her shoes off with them. She tiptoed to the edge of the water and lowered herself to the river's bottom.

She took a step and hesitated. The water came up to her chest, but did not cover it. She glanced at Hiccup. The water reached only hallway up his back. How had she not thought of that? She crossed her arms over her breasts before he could turn around.

"Ready?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid hesitated, counting how long it would take her to get out and quickly dress again, but Hiccup turned around before she could attempt it. His eyes fell on her and a soft sigh escaped his lips. Her face burned under his stare, because she knew what he must be thinking.

"Now what?" Astrid whispered, her voice had gone elsewhere.

Hiccup opened his mouth but no sound came out. He cleared his throat and explained, "We swim."

"Oh," Astrid nodded. She looked at the murky water around her. Silt and dirt had been disturbed on the peddle-strewn bottom.

"Can you?" Hiccup asked.

Astrid shook her head. "I never had the need to learn."

Hiccup cocked a brow.

"There's not water to fall in inside the castle."

"Oh," Hiccup said. "Well, it's not hard. You just kind of move around the water and use your arms and legs to paddle, like a boat."

Hiccup dove underneath the water and vanished into pale discoloration in the water. He surfaced and swam through the water a short ways and back again. She mimicked his motions but it felt awkward and useless. The water pulled her down.

"Try again," Hiccup insisted.

Toothless snoozed on the rock by their clothes, drying in the sun, as Astrid continuously failed to swim. Once, she thought she had it, and did managed to swim a few strokes, but then something happened and she fell into the water. The water had become deeper without her knowledge, and as she tried to stand on the bottom, the water covered her face. Panic surged through her limbs as she fought to find the air again.

A hand firmly grabbed her arm and pulled, and another arm reached around her waist. She burst through the river's surface with a gasping breath. She clutched onto Hiccup who swam them both toward the bluff's floor. Toothless sat up as they came near, ears perked and eyes wide. Astrid didn't let go of him until the stone was within her reach, and then collapsed onto the side of it.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked, hand firmly on her back.

Astrid gasped and coughed then weakly nodded. "I'm alright."

Hiccup sighed and rubbed her bare back with his hand. "I should have told you that it got deeper. I thought maybe if you were thrown in you'd learn to swim. That's how my dad taught me."

"He threw you into the water?" Astrid asked hoarsely.

Hiccup shrugged. "He has a very do-or-die-trying attitude."

Astrid tried to laugh but her humor had been depleted. With her feet firmly on the river's bottom, she turned, and became very aware of just how close Hiccup stood. His hand followed her as she turned and landed on her waist, mirrored by his other. His eyes stayed on hers, even though she did not cover her chest. He stood close enough they were not in his immediate view.

Her breath hitched. "I thought you promised not to touch me?"

"Unless I had to save you from drowning," Hiccup added. "Which I did. And I think you owe me at least a kiss for that. It's common practice to kiss the hero, you know."

Hiccup leaned down to her, but did not kiss her. His hesitation had been for her, she understood, and she met him the rest of the way. She had set out to give him a simple kiss, but once connected she couldn't let go. His touch set a fire along her skin and across her lips. He snaked his arms further around her and pulled her into him, pressing their bodies together. She felt _all_ of him, and gasped into his mouth just as he moaned into hers.

His tongue passed between her lips and his hand slid up her back and tangled in her hair. She kissed him back, fought in his tongue battle, and touched the skin of his shaped jaw, felt the racing pulse in his throat, and fingered the taut muscles of his shoulders. Astrid gasped as a warm, hard, _something_ prodded her hip. It took less than an instant to realize what, and a feverish chill ran down her spine and exploded when it met her natural desire head-on.

She pulled away from his kiss and turned her head to his shoulder. Hiccup's breathlessness met her cheek.

He kissed the corner of her eye and then whispered, "Do you want to?"

Astrid gripped his shoulder. "No."

"Okay," Hiccup kissed her temple.

Astrid bit into her lip, wanting to push him away and hold him underwater, while at the same time she wanted to kiss him again, to feel his hands pulling her hair, to know what it felt like to have him on top of her. She wanted nothing to do with him or his royal marriage, but she wanted to know what his sex felt like.

She couldn't give in to those feelings. The castle called her his whore, and she would not prove them right.


	15. Chapter 15

A/N – I don't have anything witty to say at this point in the day, or early morning, depending on how you look at it. I need to go to bed, put it that way. I thought I'd get this update done to have it done before tomorrow. I would have done it sooner, but I was busy – the Cards are in the playoffs.

Also, if there's anyone out there who feels up to the task of making cover art for this story, feel free to PM me. As you can tell from my icon, I'm not an artist.

I finished my draft of my novel today, so I should (should) have more time to work on these stories. But again, that's not guarantee of a regular update. I try not to go too long, but sometimes life beats us up and leaves us to crawl out of the hole, you know?

X

**Chapter 15: Tea and Tears**

Nothing would keep him from pulling her onto the rock and taking it. No one would know. He wanted _her_. But, he wanted her to want him, too. Hiccup wanted to hear her moan, to gasp his name, to arch her back and dig her nails into his shoulder. If he forced himself on her that fantasy would evaporate.

Her hands rested on his shoulders and her cheekbone leaned into his jaw. Her breasts pressed against his chest. He ran a hand down her smooth spine and held her close with the other. In the summer shade, she glowed with far greater radiance than any woman he'd ever seen. It didn't come just from her looks; it came from within her. It was her.

This…was this what love felt like? Was this what he was supposed to be looking for? This, with Astrid, he liked. He could live forever with this and look forward to it every day. This is what he wanted, be it love or something else far more undefinable.

A bird cawed in the tree above and Toothless jumped onto his feet. Astrid shifted and Hiccup's heart deflated as she lifted her head. Hiccup pushed wet hair behind her ear.

"Are you ready to get out?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes," Astrid said with a curt nod.

Hiccup held his hand out to her, to help her onto the dry rock, but she blinked back at him with wide eyes. He asked, "What?"

A lovely, light blush came over her cheeks.

Hiccup bit the inside of his lip. He climbed onto the rock first and held his hand back out to her. "What? Come on, you won't dry if you stay in the water."

"But," Astrid began. Her arms twitched over her chest.

"Its fine, I won't touch you." Hiccup swallowed. A good amount of blood still surged southward, making it difficult to think of anything but touching her, especially with the warm sun shimmering on her wet skin. "I promise."

Astrid hesitated, but placed a hand in his. The muscles in her arm tightened as she climbed out of the water. Clear drops ran down her skin, between her uncovered breasts and along her stomach, down her hips and thighs where it fell from her toes back into the water. She sat beside him, the blush still evident, but Hiccup couldn't stop staring.

"What?" Astrid said quietly. "I thought naked girls were a prominent fixture in your life."

Hiccup gapped and shook his head. "I wouldn't stay that, but I'd be lying if I said I'd never seen one before. Although, I'm usually intoxicated by that point, so they're usually blurry naked girls."

Astrid didn't reflect his attempted humor.

He cleared his throat and tried again. "But they're not you, Astrid."

Sure, those woman had breasts, too, but they didn't have Astrid's round form, as if they would fit perfectly in his hand, or her petite pink nipples. Hiccup's thoughts end abruptly as Astrid folded her arms over her chest.

"I-I'm sorry," Hiccup bit his lip and turned away. Out of the corner of his eye he saw her legs twitch, pinching together. His breath hitched. Did she expect him to attack her? Is that what she thought? He reminded himself that she didn't think he was very nice, and of course that is what a mean person would do. Hiccup cleared his throat. "You're attractive, if you didn't know."

She didn't answer.

"That's not the sex drive talking," Hiccup said, although it was his sex drive that urged him to scoot a little close, to slide a hand along her hip, to test the unknown waters, to feel her. It was his sex drive that made him bite into his lip to keep from jumping on those urges. "You're beautiful."

Astrid huffed, but it didn't hide her red cheeks. "Compared to the girls back at the castle, I'm sure that's not true."

"No," Hiccup said immediately. "They are trying too hard to be beautiful, painting their faces and stuffing, but you don't have to try, because you just are. It's just you, Astrid."

She shifted her feet.

Hiccup slowly held out his hand out to her. "I know I promised I wouldn't touch you, but can I hold your hand?"

Her lips parted, but no words came out. She sighed and Hiccup wished to know what she thought. She lifted her hand from her chest and gently laced her fingers with his. This is what people did, right? They held hands. It was a first step.

The sun slowly dried their skin and they dressed. Toothless trotted along the path ahead of them as they walked hand in hand back to the cabin. His obvious arousal had diminished, and he kept _those_ thoughts away to prevent it from returning, at least until he had time to deal with it.

They reached the cabin as the late afternoon sun tilted at a bright angle, lighting the topmost cabin windows with gold. Toothless hoped right inside through the front door and settled on a couch cushion.

"How about that bath?" Hiccup said as he pulled his shirt over his head. Between the sweat from the hike and the residual river dirt, he felt disgusting.

"Of course," Astrid stepped ahead of him and into the bathroom.

Hiccup kicked of his shoes and pushed his pants down his legs before he entered the bathroom, where Astrid was bent at the hips over the faucet. The material hugged her behind and framed it, but Hiccup bit into his lip to keep from reaching out and grabbing her. When the water had reached the temperature she wanted, she straightened.

"There you are," Astrid nodded and stepped out of the way.

"Do you want to join me?" Hiccup asked as he stepped into the water. "I won't touch you, I promise. Unless you start to drown."

Astrid blinked.

"Come on, I've already seen you naked." Hiccup grinned, and patted the water next to him. "The water's nice."

"Okay," Astrid nodded.

Hiccup held his breath as she undressed. She lifted her shirt over her head, exposing those marvelous breasts of hers. She pushed her pants down her smooth legs and stepped out of them. She stepped down into the water and sat across from him.

"See? We could have been doing this all along," Hiccup smiled. Even the shy smile she returned set his skin on fire.

X

The hot water soothed the tension she didn't know she carried. Astrid leaned into the smooth stone side and watch Hiccup bathe. The soap smelled expensive, rich and smooth. It didn't leave that harsh, bitter feeling behind on the skin like the soap that she'd always used. She knew. She'd felt him.

It's strange to think there were muscles under that skin. She didn't think there would have been room between it and his bones, but there was. Taut and firm.

She took a deep breath of the steamy air. Hiccup dipped under the water to rinse his hair and came back up on her side of the rub, hair dripping wet and flattened on his forehead. That pointed fear tightened in her chest. He promised.

"What do you want to do for dinner?" Hiccup asked, resting against the tub.

"Stay inside," Astrid smiled.

"Sounds good," Hiccup laughed. He scooted away. "I'm all done, I'll see you on the other side."

Astrid watched him climb out of the water and wrap himself in a towel. He quickly dried and padded through the door. Astrid sighed the warm, damp air, sliding her hands along her thighs, trying to mimicking his touch. What would he feel like? What would _it_ feel like? She slid her hands around to the inside of her thighs and pushed a finger inside. It had been bigger than her finger, but it was all she had. She tried two, but the sensation turned uncomfortable.

With a finger inside, another found that sensitive spot above it. For the time, it wasn't her hands that worked her, but his, strong and determined, forceful but gentle. Astrid bit her lip to hold in the gasps as she fell apart. She sank deeper into the water and regained her breath.

Food. She needed to start something to eat.

Astrid quickly washed with the same silken soap that Hiccup had used. She dried and held the towel tight around herself. She opened the door and a small, black thing shot past her and before she recognized the cat, he had jumped into the soapy bath.

"Toothless?" Astrid asked.

His pointed ears popped out of the water and he held onto the side of the tub with his sleeked paws. He leapt out with subs sticking to his wet fur.

"Well, I guess we're all clean now." Astrid crossed her arms as Toothless trotted to a discarded towel and sat down on it. She wouldn't argue with a self-cleaning pet.

Astrid left the bathroom door open for Toothless and returned to the bedroom to dress, again. Her thoughts were preoccupied with dinner as she passed into the main room, but a small sound shook her attention. She flickered a stare up to Hiccup's room. Curious, she tiptoed up the stairs. His door stood ajar and she crept up to it.

Hiccup sat on the edge of his bed with his pants undone, hand pumping on his erection. Astrid bit her tongue. It _was_ considerably larger than her finger. He moaned and twisted his other hand in the sheets.

"…Astrid…" he whispered.

Her breath caught in her throat. She tiptoed back the way she'd come and gripped the kitchen counter. With shaking hands she searched the cabinets for a meal idea, but none came easily. Tea. She'd make tea. She set the kettle on and arranged the tray, several times, and paced while the water boiled. Finally, she poured the water into the teapot.

Why had he shaken her so? She knew what he was like, everyone knew.

A creak on the stairs made her jump and turn. Hiccup jogged down them.

"Hey," Hiccup said with a calm smile, but it faded. He hesitated on the bottom stair. "You okay?"

"Yes," Astrid nodded. She grabbed the tray and walked it to the table. "Tea?"

"Sounds good," Hiccup said with the same caution.

"I'm not sure what to make for dinner," Astrid said, staring into the cabinets. She'd been staring at the same tin of flour when she felt hands on her waist. She jumped, but a strong embraced fastened her in place.

"Just a sandwich or something simple," Hiccup said in her ear. His jaw rested against her temple. His arms wrapped around her middle. His heart thumped against her back. "But it can wait a little bit. Come have a cup of tea with me."

He pulled her away from the kitchen and to the couch. He sat down and she came with him. She had a cup for both of them and while she held hers with both hands, he held his with one and kept the other around her.

X

Ingrid Hofferson pushed the door to the laundry open with her hip. The cooler air vanished as the door swung closed. At once, the chit-chat silenced. The girls all looked at her, eyed wide and hands covering their mouths.

Ingrid huffed and dropped the basket with the others. "There's plenty more dirty laundry, get to it before the water gets cold."

She should have stayed there and helped them with the mounting laundry, but she didn't want to be in the same room as their silent pity and lingering stares. Surely there was something to be dusted or polished, somewhere in the giant castle. She grabbed a dusting rag and stomped back toward the castle.

"Whoa, slow down there lass, the castle's not going anywhere," said Gobber, eyebrow raised.

"Yes, but the dusting is never done," Ingrid said quickly, waving the duster. "Might as well get the upper hand on it."

Gobber brushed his yellow mustache with his fake-hand, a stump for which he had many attachments, that today was a small three-pronged wooden hook. "Ingrid, is something bothering you?"

Ingrid huffed. She looked to see if anyone could be listening. She stepped in closer to Gobber and said, "What do you mean 'is there something bothering' me? My baby girl is who knows where, locked inside a house with that girl-chasing monster. God only knows what's already happened."

Gobber nodded. "I see."

Even though he and the King were good friends, Gobber had never betrayed the servants' secrets to the king. It was his job to keep them happy and safe and well organized.

"What do I do?" Ingrid pleaded.

Gobber sighed. "I'm not sure there is anything you can do."

Ingrid inhaled and a sob chocked her. "Is she supposed to just be his whore until he tires of her? What then? What if she gets pregnant? What will they do to her? Throw her out with the garbage and let the city eat her alive?"

"The king isn't that cruel," Gobber shook his head. He looked over his shoulder. "The queen, yes, but Stoick wouldn't do that to her."

"What should a mother do?" Ingrid sobbed.

Gobber placed a hand on her shoulder, but his words didn't bring comfort. "I'm sorry, Ingrid. I am. There's nothing that I can say to make it better. "Why don't you take a break? Go make yourself some tea, maybe a nap."

Ingrid wiped the tears from her eyes. "All the tea in the world isn't strong enough to help me now."


	16. Chapter 16

A/N - Sorry about the delay in updates. It's been a wild couple of weeks between homework, work, and a bout of depression. I took a little time off from writing because of it all, but I did get this chapter finished tonight. I've got a lot of reading homework this week so I probably won't be writing a lot, if any, this coming week.

X

Chapter 16: Morning, Milady

Empty tea cups sat in the sink, unwashed. Stacks of paper titled with different girls' names lay on the table, untouched. The sun had made it's way down the southern half of the sky and the night swallowed the forest in ink and sparkles. A low, calm fire warmed the cabin's main room just enough, and lit it just beyond shadows.

They had spent the day talking, just talking. Astrid listened with Hiccup's arm comfortably at her waist. He spoke with the other, using it as a prop within his story, just as his shoulders bounced and his spine fluctuated.

"But Snotlout decided that he would get his own piece of cake and just reached up and grabbed the stand," Hiccup said. His free hand reached up an exaggerated distance and his fingers clenched around something invisible. "The stand broke and the entire cake came over on top of him."

Astrid laughed with him, moved as he moved, and lay her legs over his lap. Occasionally his hand would come down from the air and rest over her knees.

"And how old was he?" Astrid asked. "Seventeen?"

Hiccup laughed, "No, although I wouldn't put it past him. I don't remember exactly when it was…at lest ten years ago."

"I'm sure you were a much better behaved ten year old boy," Astrid laughed. She'd let her hand fall onto his chest in the previous story, and had no care to move it.

"Oh, I'm sure I was," Hiccup nodded. "My dad didn't yell at me nearly as much as Snotlout's yelled at him."

Astrid's grin faltered. She had heard Spitelout yell. He did not shout with the same command that his brother did. When Stoick raised his voice, entire rooms silenced. Spitelout shouted with malicious intent and mean anger.

"You alright?" Hiccup asked, patting her side with his hand.

"Yes," Astrid nodded quickly.

"You had a look just then," Hiccup narrowed his eyes at her in mock examination.

"Oh, it was nothing," Astrid shrugged. "Just thinking of Spitelout yelling…its not pleasant."

"Oh." His eyes shifted. His hand landed on her knee. "Don't worry, I won't let him yell at you."

She leaned into him as she turned her unknown feelings into humor, "You'll keep me safe from the mean castle guard?"

Hiccup didn't laugh. His smile softened and touched something deep inside of her.

"Of course it will," Hiccup said humorlessly. "You're mine. Not theirs. I'm the only one that gets to yell at you."

She smiled, as odd as his compliment was. "I'm yours?"

His hand gently squeezed her knee. "Yeah, and I'll be yours, too, if you want me."

"Hiccup…" Astrid couldn't find the words to match the warmth that trembled in her chest. He nudged her and she obliged, whether he meant to or not, and hugged him as much as her folded body would allow. Hiccup didn't hesitate to return her embrace. He titled his head to kiss her temple.

Astrid exhaled, taking in the soap on his skin and hair. Underneath it was his scent, something she couldn't take apart into separate smells, it was just _him_. A yawn started in her chest and worked it's way into her jaw before she could stop it.

"It's late," Hiccup said, stroked her back. "We can talk more in the morning."

"I like the sound of that," Astrid said to his hair.

Reluctantly she moved. She unwound herself from him and stood. Hiccup readied himself for bed while she put out the fire. It would have burned itself out in the night, but she didn't want to take the chance of burning the royal cabin down. Hands grabbed her hips. As she jumped, Hiccup pulled her close to his chest.

"Do you want to sleep with me?" Hiccup whispered in her ear. His hot breath brushed against the skin of her neck.

Her breath evaporated in her throat.

"As in sleep, in my bed," Hiccup said again, just far enough away that his breath didn't quite reach her. "As in sleep in the same location, in close proximity. But, if you wanted to have sex we could do that too."

She turned in his hands. "Hiccup, I-" She shook her head.

His lips gently turned down. He said, "It's fine."

"It's not a good idea," Astrid explained.

He bit his lip. "You're probably right. Can I have a good night kiss at least?"

Her eyes flickered to his lips. That, too, sounded like a bad idea. She shouldn't. Regardless of those thoughts, she leaned in anyway to kiss him. He met her halfway and his hands pulled her closer. She touched his shoulder, then his stubble-strewn jaw, and his cheek. She wrapped her arm around him. His tongue pushed its way between her lips and she let him, tasting the sweet tea they'd drank.

A part of him had entered her, she thought. It created a vibrant sensation that radiated into her limbs and pooled in her abdomen. The heat of his mouth met hers in tongue war which he promptly won. From the things that people had said about their deviant prince, one thing stuck out in her mind. He had experience with women. Every touch, every caress, every look felt as though he knew exactly what to do.

That experience from his tongue would double over, she assumed, to his groin. She wanted, then, to fall into his bed and see what the commotion was about. She wanted his pleasure, to moan and groan or whatever else people did while tangled in each other. People already though the worst of her. Why not at least try it?

"The invitation is still open," Hiccup whispered to her lips.

Her eyes flickered open and the gravity of her almost-decision settled in her chest. She broke from his embrace. "No, not tonight."

"Not tonight, as in maybe tomorrow night?" Hiccup asked with his cocky grin.

The childish hope in his eyes fluttered in her chest. "I don't know, ask me tomorrow."

He smiled, and before she could stop him, he kissed her again. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Astrid whispered as he broke the second kiss.

They parted and Astrid shut the bedroom door behind her. She sat on the edge of her too-large bed and put a hand against her racing heart. This couldn't go on forever. They couldn't stay in the woods. Eventually, they would have to return to the castle, to the stares and whispers and pity. He would marry and become king. She would remain a maid, maybe, until she died. They could be no more than that.

X

Warm light touched her cheek, and Astrid wanted to sleep in. The soft, comforting bed hugged her in plush blankets and she didn't want to leave them. But her barely-there consciousness picked up a minor movement, otherwise insignificant, however it was not her own. Her attention came to what she believed at first as sunlight; a hand touched her cheek. Astrid snapped awake. Hiccup sat on the edge of her bed, still in his pajamas, looking down at her with his hand hovering above her.

"Good morning," Hiccup said.

"Morning," Astrid said quietly. She scooted back and sat up. The door to the bedroom stood open and bright morning light flooded into the room beyond. He said nothing. His soft brow and eyes still watched her with a look that melted the anxiety his surprise had caused. "Is something wrong?"

He smiled. "Yes, I woke up and no one was there to bring me coffee."

"I'm am sorry," Astrid said. _That look_. She pulled her knees up and out of the blanket. "I am sorry, your majesty, allow me to fetch you your coffee."

His lips parted and his entire body trembled. His hungry eyes watched her every movement. To have the infamous Prince Hiccup lingering on her words filled her with a such a power than she had never felt before. Is this what the other women thought before they submitted themselves to him? Did they see this sexual prowess as a means to a powerless existence? Astrid then understood their motives. She too wanted to feel more of that power over a man who could kill them with a wave of his hand.

"Would you like cream and sugar?" Astrid asked, even though she knew the answer perfectly well. She could make his coffee without measuring either, half-asleep.

"Both, please," Hiccup said, barely blinking. His eyes trailed over her, lingering on her chest for just a moment.

"It will take only a moment," Astrid said as she walked backward to the door. She turned as she left the bedroom and heard him stand as she stepped over the threshold.

A strange thing happened; his bare footsteps padded behind and she kept her eyes on the stove where the coffee slept. In that moment, a terrifying and wonderful sensation flushed her skin and heated her blood. She thought of him grabbing her from behind and pushing her against the wall, or down on the couch. He would tangle his hand in her hair and kiss her, roughly unbutton her shirt, and pull at her pants.

He did none of these things. Astrid made it to the stove with something between disappointment and gratitude. She prepared the coffee and while it made she meandered back to the couch where Hiccup had taken a seat. Again, his eyes were on her. Their eyes met and a shiver ran over her skin. Gooseflesh slithered along her arms and legs. She didn't need to look down to know the effect on her chest; she felt it.

Hiccup bit his bottom lip and rubbed his thigh to his knee, and let his hand fall to the couch beside him. Astrid took long, careful stride toward him, every bit as nervous and afraid as she felt eager and curious. She kept her eyes on his as she walked to him and nudged his knees with her own. He must have anticipated her sitting beside him, because when she straddled his lap a sharp gasp escaped his throat.

"Astrid," Hiccup said breathlessly, his bright eyes in disbelief.

Astrid swallowed. No one had ever looked at her like that, like she meant something. His hands settled on her waist and she touched his cheek, cradling his jaw in her hands. She leaned forward and he melted in her palms. His eye fluttered closed as her lips grazed his. She kissed him. His tongue met hers and this time she fought back, to win this wet battle, but did not complain when his experience beat her.

His hands wandered her waist and found the buttons on her shirt. Without breaking apart from her lips his deft hands undid them and pushed the shirt from her shoulders. His kisses turned rough and his hands sought every inch of her exposed skin. His hand held one of her breasts, and she couldn't stop the shudder as he gentle squeezed, running his thumb over the nipple.

_Thump_. _Thump_. _Thump_.

They both jumped apart as the entire cabin shook.

"Hiccup? Open up," a great voice shouted at their door.

"Shit," Hiccup spat, his narrowed glare burning daggers toward the door. "What is he doing here?"

Astrid wrapped her arms over her exposed chest and none too soon. They had not locked the front door and the owner of the voice opened it without regard. She tried to bury herself in Hiccup. He wrapped his thin arms around her bare back, but it didn't make her feel any less naked.

"Hiccup, it's-" Stoick stopped short, but Astrid refused to turn around and see his expression. She imagined him angry, red-cheeked, and shocked. "It's…"

"_It's_ bad timing?" Hiccup quipped. "_It's_ rude to enter without knocking? _It's_ impolite to stare? Any one of those."

Stoick did something had Astrid had never heard, he stuttered. "Hiccup, you-you, what…is this what you wanted to bring her for?"

Hiccup's protective embrace tightened and hugged her closer. He said, "No. But this is a nice extra."

Stoick grumbled. "Son, this is serious. Everyone is starting to wonder what you are doing out here, what you _two_ are doing out here." Stoick huffed. "I'm glad to know that all the gossip vines were wrong. I knew that _my son _wouldn't be the selfish, perverted animal they say he is."

"Dad," Hiccup spat with venom that chilled her. She clenched his shirt in white knuckles and held her face to his shoulder. Hiccup's shaking hand flattened against her back. "Could you give us a minute?"

Stoick grumbled and exhaled with the power of a dragon. She was sure that smoke spilled from his nostrils.

"As you can see, the lady isn't properly dressed," Hiccup said as calmly as he could through clenched teeth. He held her tightly.

"Fine," Stoick roared. He stomped, rattling the dishes in the cabinets, and the door slammed behind him.

X


	17. Chapter 17

A/N - Did you see the new, sexy cover art? You all have the awesome WyvernsWeaver to thank (and thank, I do).

I totally thought I updated the story with this chapter…turns out I hadn't yet. I am sorry to leave you all dangling on the cliff like that. I'm scatterbrained these days, and I have to prioritize homework and work. Here's some advice: don't grow up. It sucks. (Not all the time, just sometimes.)

X

**Chapter 17: Nots and Can'ts **

Astrid shivered in his hands. She stayed on his lap, frozen, several moments after his father had slammed the front door. Hiccup glared at the back of the door, as if he could somehow push his father away, magically transport him back to the castle. Astrid shuddered in his arms. The glorious, erotic moment had gone, and his erection with it.

Astrid mumbled something into his shoulder and he shifted his hands on her smooth skin. He wanted to hold her closer, until she merged completely with him.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup said. Had his father not interrupted, would she still be on his lap on lying on the couch underneath him? He had hoped for the latter, and thinking that it might have happened churned his current anger toward his father.

Astrid wrenched her head from his shoulder. She rubbed red eyes and didn't look at him as she scooted off of him. "This was a mistake, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

His heart leapt, skipping a beat or three. "No, Astrid, I-"

She reached for her discarded shirt and held it over her chest. "No, Hiccup…we _can't_ do this."

She half-ran back to her room and left him open-mouthed, hand reaching out after her. The door closed. Hiccup stood up and adjusted his pajamas. He marched to the front door and looked back at Astrid's room before going outside, shutting the door behind him. Stoick stood on the porch, twiddling his thumbs, starting up at the tree tops. At the door, he turned and his peaceful expression disintegrated into anger.

"You're not going to invite me in?" Stoick gestured to the cabin.

"Whatever you're going to say, I don't want Astrid to hear it." Hiccup crossed his arms.

Stoick sighed. "I came to tell you that you're taking too much time. This is a serious event, Son, not an excuse for you to go fornicate in the woods."

"I'm not-" Hiccup groaned. "Fine. How much time do I have left to determine the bitch I'm supposed to spend the rest of my life with?"

Stoick grumbled, "Hiccup." He closed his eyes, inhaled deeply, and put a hand to his forehead. It was a face Hiccup had seen many times: exasperation, anxiety, disappointment, and many sister emotions. "Don't look at it that way."

"Why not?" Hiccup asked. His father hesitated; he saw his chance. "It's true. Dad, I don't like any of those women. Astrid…she's different. She's smart, witty, and she talks to me like I-I'm a real person."

Stoick shook his head and his massive beard followed. "Son, you know that this is just a delusion. She is a maid. You are a prince, the future king, and you need a decent woman to be your wife."

Hiccup threw his arms out and let them fall to his sides. He might as well be telling this to Toothless.

"Listen to me," Stoick said, in a hoarse tone he might have called a whisper, but Hiccup knew that Stoick didn't have the ability to whisper. "The life of royalty isn't about freedom and doing whatever you want. You make decisions for an entire kingdom, but none for yourself. It is the price of being a king."

"Then I don't want to be a king," Hiccup said shortly. "I'd rather live out in the woods with Astrid."

Stoick laughed pitifully. "I'm not giving the throne to Snotlout."

Hiccup half-laughed and crossed his arms.

Stoick took a step forward, hands extended. "I know this isn't an easy decision, but I came out here to hurry you along. The Berserker chief is visiting this week and you need to be there to welcome him properly, not off playing house in the woods. It looks bad."

Hiccup sighed and picked a spot on the cabin's wooden exterior to stare at.

"Hiccup?" Stoick said.

"Fine," Hiccup shifted on his feet. He chanced a glance at his father's face and it was as he expected. Stoick glared.

"Good," Stoick said with a nod. "You've got the rest of the day. A carriage will arrive for you at noon tomorrow."

Hiccup stood on the porch, in the shade from the sun, and watched his father return to his waiting carriage. The driver pretended to be more interested in the leaves, but Hiccup knew better than to assume he had heard nothing of their conversation. The driver looked in Hiccup's direction but quickly adverted his stare as the carriage began to move. Hiccup waited until he could no longer hear the clop-clop of the horses' hooves to go back inside.

X

Astrid slid down the back of the bedroom door, shirt clutched in her hand. She heard the front door open and close and the distant muffled speech of King Stoick.

Why did he have to walk in? Of all the people, of all the moments…why? Why did his _father_ have to walk in on the one moment of her sitting shirtless on his lap?

Astrid buried her face in the fine material of the shirt. Shame bubbled up through her skin in cold sweat and regret shook her very being. She would have gone through with it, had no one interrupted. She would have let Hiccup undress her and lay her down and have his way. She wanted him to. She wanted _him_.

She shook as she pulled the shirt back over her arms and wrapped it around herself. She wanted to believe that he loved her, that he wanted her, and would want her tomorrow. But doubt wormed deep in those desires. He was Hiccup, after all, notorious for one-night stands and broom closet escapades. What if this, all of this, was just his idea of an escapade? Once he had her would he find another maid to torture with those damn eyes of his?

She had been right. This…whatever _this_ was, couldn't go on between them. They could have nothing of love between them, not like that. Not like she wanted.

X

Astrid returned to the main room to find Hiccup sitting on the couch. His smile had vanished and a frown replaced it. The papers had been re-scattered. Astrid tiptoed to him and he didn't look at her. His stare focused entirely on the papers, on the names and notes.

The thick air suffocated her as she made the coffee. She prepared it like he liked, and walked it over to him. She set it down on the table, but he didn't move. His eyes remained on the papers before him. Astrid hesitated. He wore the unreadable expression that he had when she first became his maid, the look that reminded her of Stoick. She bit her lip and swallowed.

"Your coffee, sir," she said quietly.

"Thanks," Hiccup said without moving anything, barely his lips. Then, quite suddenly, he jerked to look at her with wide eyes. "What did you say?"

His suddenness squeezed her heart. Astrid hesitated and then repeated, "You coffee is ready."

Hiccup stood, eyes focused on her, and she took a step back. He said darkly, "What did you call me?"

She shook her head, sure that no offense had passed her lips, when she remembered. A different tremor played games in her chest. She said quietly, "Sir."

"I told you not to call me that," Hiccup said flatly, not a warning, not a dare, but a sentencing, a punishment. He took a step closer to her and she stepped back, but he reached out and grabbed her arms, yanking her toward him. "Do you remember what I said about calling me _sir_?"

Her throat went dry. She swallowed and spoke in a small voice. "That you'd order me to sleep in your bed."

For a moment his expression remained the same, and then it melted and he smiled. His hands fell to her waist and he quickly kissed her temple. "I'll see you tonight then."

It took a moment for her heart to return its rhythm. Hiccup took her by the hand and led her back to the couch. Together they returned to the girls. Hiccup read off names and she added comments about their dates. Some of them she needed to remind him of entirely, the poor girls. The piece of paper either went into the 'no' pile or the 'yes' pile. Hiccup had done away with the 'maybe' pile. To her surprise, more girls went into the 'yes' pile that she'd expected.

"To be honest, I don't really remember them," Hiccup said when she asked. "I guess I wasn't paying enough attention. I was…thinking about other things."

Astrid smiled. "Like the nearest closet?"

Hiccup's slight smile flickered.

"I'm sorry," Astrid said immediately.

"No, you're right." Hiccup sighed. "That's what I was thinking about when this started, how many of them I could sleep with and then rubbing it in Snotlout's face. It seems so…stupid now."

"It does?" Astrid asked. It's hard to think that this Hiccup sitting beside her is the same that orders girls to…perform in closets and library corners.

"Yeah," Hiccup said. "I know it probably doesn't seem like that to you. But…I don't know. It's hard to explain." He smiled. "Somehow, I got this crazy nursemaid that followed me around and everything changed." His hand found hers. "Astrid, will you stay with me? No matter what happens?"

Her breath left her. Those green eyes, pleading and desperate, drove into hers again. His hands held onto hers like a lifeline. She opened her mouth but it took a moment for the words to form. "Of course, I will."

His desperate frown turned into a kind, almost loving smile and he embraced her. He loosened his arms just enough to kiss her cheek. On a quick whim, she bent her neck to kiss his lips, and he did not object.

"Hiccup, what are we?" Astrid whispered.

"I don't know," Hiccup whispered back. "We're not lovers, thanks to Dad. So, friends, then?"

"Friends don't kiss like this," Astrid hummed to his lips.

His eyes softened. "I know."

Her heart trembled. "We can't be anything more than this."

He closed his eyes and pressed his cheek to hers and in a heartbroken whisper said, "I know."

The day moved slowly as the girls were organized and the dishes washed. Astrid lit a candle as the last of the twilight fell into night. Clouds hogged the sky and the forest beyond the windows loomed thick with shadows. Astrid readied for bed, dressing in those damn pajamas, and had taken the first step toward her bedroom when she heard him.

"Where are you going?" Hiccup asked from his room.

"To sleep," Astrid said, then she remembered. He meant it. She nodded and started his way, not sure what would happen.

Astrid walked past him and into his dark bedroom just as the first thunder clap sounded. It rolled in the distance and shook the sky.

"I love sleeping in the rain," Hiccup sighed.

"The rain?" Astrid asked.

"Not literally in the rain, but when it rains," Hiccup said. He stepped into the bedroom and shut the door. It was just her, him, and pale candlelight. He stretched as he walked over to the large bed and plopped down on one side. He looked comically small compared to it. He patted the bed next to him.

Astrid set the candle down on the bedside table and climbed onto the squishy bed. Hiccup didn't move as she squirmed her way under the blankets. The space between them could fit another person, maybe two, maybe three. Another thunder clap, and Astrid leaned over to blow out the candle. Darkness erupted and Astrid leaned back into the pillow. Hiccup moved, swishing his pajamas against the sheet, and sighed.

"Goodnight," Hiccup said.

"Goodnight," Astrid said. Her voice felt too big in the space.

"Are you going to kiss me goodnight?" Hiccup asked, a grin on his tone.

"I can't see you."

"You don't have to," Hiccup whispered. "You'll close your eyes anyway."

He moved. Astrid slowly inched toward where she thought he was. She extended her hand through the dark first. She found something soft, like fabric, and warm. His chest. She found a button on his shirt, then another, and the then the collar. Underneath it, she found his collarbone. She traced along it, up his neck, over the stubble on his chin, and at last found his lips. He held his hand over hers, and firmly kissed her fingers.

"That's not a very good goodnight kiss," Astrid hummed.

Hiccup smiled against her hand. "I'll give you the best damn goodnight kiss anyone's ever gotten."

He kissed her fingers, her palm, then licked her thumb and gently bit. He moved toward her, kissing her wrist and forearm, and when the pajamas got in the way he ignored them, using his hands instead to smooth up her shoulder. His hair tickled her jaw as he placed a soft kiss on her neck, moving up her collarbone, along her throat.

His tongue ran along her jaw and rain began to spatter the window as he found her lips. He kissed her sweetly, roughly, and entangled a hand in her hair while he fought a brave, wet tongue war. Thunder crashed as he parted from her. He fell back down into the bed and she followed.

"Was that better?" he asked.

"Mm-hm," was all Astrid could mumbled.

He pulled the blankets up around then and she found sleep somewhere in his arms.


	18. Chapter 18

A/N – I'm so glad to finally be at this chapter! You'll find out why. It's one of those scene that I wrote a long time ago. I wasn't sure if I would be able to get anything done this week – I went through a ridiculous anxiety attack this week and I'm just not getting to where it doesn't feel like the sky is falling. Whoo! Stability!

And, if I don't update before next Thursday – Happy Thanksgiving! Unless you don't live in the US, then have a Happy Thursday!

X

**Chapter 18: I Won't Let You Choke **

Ingrid hadn't been able to sleep at all. From the moment she laid down beside her husband she had tossed, turned, and according to him, moaned. That indicated she had slept at least a little, although it didn't feel like it as she stared into the boiling pot of breakfast mush.

"They're supposed to be home today," Alistair said from the table. He pulled on his worn shoes.

"Hm?" Ingrid blinked and turned to look at him. "What did you say dear?"

Alistair sighed and met his wife's worried eye. He had seen firsthand her crazed anxiety that drove her into dark corners she didn't like. Yesterday she had washed the same sheet for nearly an hour, according to the girls in the washroom. Greta, a longtime friend, told her to go get some rest. Ingrid had agreed, although she knew that rest would not come.

"I heard some of the guards talking," Alistair continued. He cleared his throat to maintain his wife's sparse attention. "The king went out to see the prince yesterday. He ordered him home in time to greet the Berserkers."

"Oh," Ingrid nodded. "They will be home today?"

"Yes, this afternoon if the guards had their gossip right." Alistair straightened his shoulders. He didn't like this he-said she-said nonsense, but every piece of good word about his daughter he passed on to his wife, even if it were he that made it up.

"That is good, then," Ingrid nodded. She'd lost weight since Astrid had left for the prince's side. She felt it in her apron. The wrinkled spot in the belt where she had always tied it now fell into the bow.

"The driver of the carriage had something interesting to say," Alistair said, hating every word as it passed his lips. At once, Ingrid's eyes raced to him, begging for the rest, pleading for the word that her daughter was safe and sound. He cleared his throat and settled his eyes elsewhere, on a small crack in the table. "According to the guards, Hiccup refused to let his father into the cabin. He didn't want Astrid to hear what the King had to say. He said that the Prince was far fonder of his maid than he was his bride options."

Ingrid stood, wooden spoon still in her hand, mulling over these words. Her eyes settled on her husband but her mind raced somewhere else entirely. "What does that mean?"

"I don't know," Alistair shrugged. "It is only what I heard."

"He likes Astrid more than the other girls?" Ingrid shook. Her face turned sour. "He's already taken my baby, hasn't he? He's ruined her. She'll never be able to marry…" She held in a sob. "She'll be his whore for the rest of her life."

Alistair kept his eyes from his wife, despite what he thought. In truth, Astrid's life had been labeled. The kingdom knew her face, her name, her…occupation. The gossip vines and tabloids had seen to that. He wasn't sure if she knew about her infamy, and he preferred if she never found out.

"My baby girl," Ingrid sobbed as she returned to their pitiful breakfast.

Alistair stood up and put his work-rough hands on her shoulders. He'd never envisioned this when they'd agreed to have a child. He thought she would be a servant, like them, and work until her children or grandchildren could support her, and die of old age. Never did he think his child would be taken as a consort.

"I don't know what to do," Ingrid cried. She abandoned the bubbling breakfast and buried herself in his arms.

Alistair rubbed her back as she cried. He reached down to stir the pot. He didn't want it to burn.

X

Astrid woke when someone moved beside her. Hiccup's arm tightened around her waist as he stirred. His body snuggly fit against hers. With his chest against her back, she could feel the gentle thump of his heart. His breath warmed her neck. His breathing shifted; he yawned. He rolled onto his back and she rolled onto her other side to face him.

"Good morning," he said sleepily.

"Good morning," Astrid whispered. She'd never slept so close to someone before. She'd never slept so soundly before, either. She'd never woken up beside someone, and she liked it.

Hiccup brushed the bed-hair from her face. His soft stare lingered. In turn, she tried to memorize the freckles on his nose. Had he always had those? Yes, he had, but as many? They were soft, some small and barely visible, but many of them adorned his face. Most were the same color has his hair.

They stayed in bed for a while, just looking at each other. Regrettably they rose and traveled downstairs for coffee. They sat on the couch while they drank. The papers were where they had been left. The clock on the wall read half past ten; their time counted down.

In a blur, they packed. Astrid folded Hiccup's things and separated the dirty from the clean. She had nothing to pack; she had brought only what she wore. She retrieved her dress and put it back on. The rough, cheap material pushed against her skin.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup asked, hands in his pockets.

"Nothing," Astrid said. "I got used to the other clothes. These feel…different now."

"Bad different?"

She nodded. "It's okay. It's not a big deal."

Hiccup's brow furled and he had no sooner opened his mouth than a knock hit the door. Hiccup closed his mouth glared at it. The knocker knocked again. Hiccup stomped to the door and wrenched it open. A short, shriveled driver stood on the other side in a primed, ironed suit.

"Your carriage awaits, Prince Hiccup," he said with a slight bow.

"Right," Hiccup said. His stare turned nasty. "We'll be right out." He shut the door so violently that the cabinets shook.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup looked up at the clock. "He's early."

"We'll be alright," Astrid said. Hiccup sighed and met her stare. The nasty look in his eyes faded and that kindness returned.

"You're right," Hiccup said with a nod. "I'm sure you're right."

They gathered their things and Astrid reached for his suitcase, but Hiccup beat her to it.

"I got it," he said plainly.

Astrid instead opened the door for him. The little driver still stood. Hiccup headed for the carriage with Astrid behind him. The little driver climbed onto his seat when Hiccup refused to let him load the luggage, and instead did it himself. They climbed inside and Hiccup slammed the door. As the carriage began to move, he slouched.

"Are you alright?" Astrid asked. She knew the answer.

"No," Hiccup said. He shook his head. "I don't want to do this. I don't want to have to pick a bitch from the crowd just because it's what the kingdoms thinks is right. How do they know what I want? What right do they have to even have a say in my life? It's mine! I shouldn't have to forgo happiness because it's what people think I should do."

Astrid bit her lip. He'd raised his voice only a few times, but this one felt different. A cold, desperate fury raged in his voice and his eyes looked on the verge of tears.

"I'm sorry," Astrid said quietly.

"I know," Hiccup said. He reached for her hand. "I just wish I could think of something, some kind of better idea."

Astrid didn't know what to say. In the war of royal politics, her voice meant nothing. They had made that clear to her from a young age. Servants were replaceable, insignificant, and no self-importance would be tolerated, in the Queen's own words.

Hiccup laced his fingers with hers as the carriage took them away from the cabin. The trees thinned and the sky view widened. The night's storm had left mud puddles and a thick humidity on the breeze.

X

They didn't speak as the royal grounds trotted by. Hiccup wished they would move slower. He didn't look forward to the castle one bit. He squeezed Astrid's hand periodically, to make sure she was still there, to remind himself that she existed. From the window, the castle finally came into view. He sighed heavily as they rounded the last of the thick trees.

"Oh no," Hiccup groaned. A gathering awaited his return. The Queen stood out with her wide, obnoxious dress and tall hair. The girls lined up around her like ants. King Stoick stood to the side with his guardsmen. Hiccup had dreaded leaving the carriage before, but that feeling only intensified.

"They missed you," Astrid smiled politely. She couldn't hide her unease.

He gave her hand one last squeeze as the carriage lurched to a stop. Hiccup reached for the door, but someone opened it for him. A royal guard stood on the other side, expressionless and adorned with a multitude of buttons and metals. Reluctantly, Hiccup let go of Astrid's hand and stepped out of the carriage. A roar of applause greeted him and he responded with a half-hearted wave.

Guards and servants had come to this homecoming as well, but none of them looked enthused. Their chores would still need to be done and this meant their day would be longer. Hiccup inhaled slowly. He'd never would have thought about those things before he met Astrid. It was another way she'd changed him.

Snotlout crashed into him, laughing. He turned his back to the crowd and held three fingers closer to his chest, blocking them from view. "That's how many I nailed while you were playing house in the woods."

"Three?" Hiccup laughed. He couldn't let Snotlout get the better of him so he quickly lied, "I had five on the first day."

Snotlout's face fell a little and Hiccup pushed past him, content. Hiccup walked through the crowd to the castle door, but his mother met him there. A servant quickly opened the door for them as she snaked her arm into his and escorted him inside.

"Now, Hiccup, I'm glad you're back," the Queen said a bit too loudly. "It's been awfully quiet without you. These poor girls have been bored to tears. They missed you dearly."

"I'm sure they did," Hiccup hissed.

The Queen patted his arm. "Now, that is no way to speak to your future wife." She leaned in close and he could smell the caked powder on her nose. "Just between you and me, tell me what you're thinking."

"That I'm hungry?" Hiccup shrugged, trying to lightly push her arm away, but she held firm. He loved Astrid, but not her cooking.

"No, no, about the girls. You had plenty of time to make such a hard decision, so many fine young women to choose from," she sighed. "But, tell me, is there one that sticks out from the rest? One girl that you like just a little more than the others? Hm?"

Hiccup knew what she wanted, a name to slip to the tabloids. He wouldn't give it to her. He shrugged. "There is _one_ girl." Her entire face lit up, but before she could even ask, Hiccup added, "But I'm not telling you who it is."

"Why not?" She pouted comically.

"Because I want it to be a surprise." Hiccup wanted to laugh at the disbelieving look on her face.

She laughed loudly and patted him on the shoulder. "Of course, dear, whatever you want to do. And remember that you will announce your decisions at dinner."

"Yes, how could I forget?" Hiccup said as calmly as he could.

She gave him a weak, practiced smile and released him, trotting down the corridor to where a few of the girls waited, including Heather. They all looked past her and at Hiccup, attempted smirks on their painted faces and a strange look he couldn't quite call sultry. He turned around to find Astrid, but she was gone.

X

Astrid had tried to keep up with Hiccup as his mother whisked him away, but a strong arm landed about her shoulders and yanked her down another corridor.

"Hey," Snotlout said in a rank breath.

Astrid tried to pull away, but Snotlout gripped her shoulder. At the end of the empty hall she saw someone walking. At the sight of her and Snotlout, he paused, and Astrid heart's fell as it recognized her own father. She could feel the hatred in his stare, the disgust clenched in his fists, determination in each footfall as he stomped toward them.

Astrid tried to shout out to him to stop, but Snotlout swung her around and stole her breath. He hadn't noticed or cared about the man coming at him with tight fists. He pushed her into the wall beside a towering suit of armor and blocked her escape with his stocky self.

"Hey!" Astrid tried to stop him, but he leaned in and crashed his mouth against hers. She pushed against him, but he held her shoulders flush to the wall.

"Snotlout!" She heard running footsteps and a shadow passed over them. Snotlout yelped as someone yanked him backwards and off of her. The sudden absence of his weight caused her knees to give out and she slid down the wall and too the floor.

"Astrid?" her father appeared at her side and she realized it had not been he who pulled Snotlout away. He stood her up and she held onto his shirt just in time to see Hiccup's fist collide with Snotlout's mouth, sending him careering onto the floor.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Hiccup's shout echoed off the wall. His balled fists shook. His stare could have burned a hole through the marble floor.

Snotlout sat up and cupped his chin. Blood ran from his lip and into his palm. He looked down at it and then up at Hiccup, and then leaned over and spat. Onto the floor clanked a white, bloodied tooth.

"What's wrong with me?" Snotlout said as he stood up. He spat more blood onto the floor. "What's wrong with _you_?"

Hiccup closed the small space between him and his cousin and said in a deadly voice that sent a shiver up Astrid's spine. "If you touch her again, I'll knock out more than a tooth."

Her father's hands shifted on her arms. He, too, watched with baited breath.

Snotlout spat again and shot an angry glare at Hiccup. If looks could kill, both would be a smoldering pile of ash on the shined floor. Snotlout turned with a huff and stomped back down the corridor. Hiccup kept his glare on his retreating back and didn't let up until he was out of sight.

"Hiccup?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup exhaled and looked suddenly small and weary. Astrid broke apart from her father's embrace and reached out to grab hold of Hiccup's arm. His green eyes met hers and a silent apology softened his glare. His hand landed on her waist.

"Are you okay?" Hiccup asked. "Did he-"

"No," Astrid said quickly. She reached for his hand. The knuckles were reddening and a scrap began to bleed. She sighed.

A shuffled of clothing behind her reminded her of her father's presence. She looked at him over her shoulder, standing with a deep frown. His stare was not on her, however, but on Hiccup, and on Hiccup's hand in hers. Hiccup looked back, his brow knit in confusion.

"What?" Hiccup asked.

"Hiccup," Astrid whispered, although she knew her father could hear her. "That's my dad."

Hiccup blinked, then his eyes widened. "Oh…" He looked between them and then smiled that smile she loved. He said, "Yeah, I can see it."

"Hiccup?" Stoick's voice rattled the suits of armor. His stomps echoed down the hall, and he appeared at the mouth of the corridor. "Hiccup! There you are, Son. Come! We have to discuss the dinner tonight. West wing lounge, ten minutes."

"Fine," Hiccup said. His smile dissolved.

Stoick continued his stomp down the corridor and his servants scurried behind. Hiccup sighed and leaned in to kiss Astrid's temple before following after. He held Astrid's hand in his. She cast a look over her shoulder at her father, who stood where he had with a dumbstruck face she'd never seen before.


	19. Chapter 19

A/N – I AM SO SORRY I FORGOT ABOUT TOOTHLESS! I felt so silly after reading a few of the reviews that pointed out my ridiculous mistake! I thought about taking the chapter down and tweaking it, but then I wanted to let everyone know that they were right and I had messed up.

So, instead I'm adding this short chapter. Consider it an I'm-sorry-I-forgot-about-Toothless gift.

X

**Chapter 19: Feet and Wheels**

Toothless watched the two humans sulking about the house. That yellow one had slept in _his_ room last night. Toothless had seen them from his place on the floor, within easy jumping distance of the soft, cushy bed. He had thought about joining them during the storm, but he hadn't. His new master made too much noise when he slept, like tiny thunder rolls from his insides.

Another human had appeared at their door, this one smaller than their last visitor, but he didn't just go away. His new master and the yellow one went with him. Toothless trailed after. He didn't want to go inside the carriage. He still held onto those bad memories of wheels. Sometimes, they still chased him in his dreams. But when it was clear that both the yellow one and his new master were getting inside, Toothless did to.

He didn't like being inside any more than he liked being outside. It jerked and swayed and bumped and his stomach didn't like it. He found a quiet spot behind his new master's legs and stayed there until the miserable ride ended. The door opened and at once a loud roaring assaulted his ears.

He'd never seen so many humans in one space before. All those feet – he would surely get kicked if he tried to escape. He stayed put while his new master got out and the yellow one followed. Still, those feet taunted him and threatened. The door closed and Toothless huddled under the bench alone. It lurched into movement again, but the noisy humans went away.

The thing stopped again, this time for good. Toothless stayed where he was until he was sure the door wouldn't open again. He tiptoed out of his hiding place and to the door, but it didn't open for him like it had his master. He pawed at it, but nothing happened. Toothless jumped onto the bench and stretched to the small window. With a boost, a leap, and a graceful fall he landed outside the still wheels.

He froze – there were many wheels. They stretched onward in both directions. He staggered underneath the one he had ridden in, fearful they would try and smoosh him, too, but they did not. Slowly, with cautious footsteps, he made his way to the open door.

"Get outta here, stupid cat!"

Something clanked on the ground beside him and Toothless didn't have a moment to spare before a small, wrinkled human swatted the ground with something long. It bounced off the ground with a horrible, searing _smack_. Toothless ran faster than the human and left him far behind. The human still shouted as Toothless ran in between a white-clad human into a good-smelling door.

"Hey!" the white-clad human shouted.

Everything inside was made of shiny metal. Steam rose from pots and hot fire boiled water. Somewhere, he could smell fish. He loved fish. But he didn't have time to search. A shadow flashed above him and he barely made it out of the way before a large, black boot swooshed through the air at him. He ran, and didn't stop until he left the shiny room behind.

The humans didn't chase him, but he didn't care. He ran along the empty hallways. What should he do now? Where was this place?

Two large feet stomped on the floor and Toothless hid behind a metal man. There were several metal men along the walls but none of them moved. They didn't smell like humans. Toothless didn't think they were the same.

"There's much to be done before tonight," the large human said as he rounded a corner into the hallway. There were several humans behind him, some took three steps to the large man's one, just to keep up with him. "I want extra guardsmen at all the doors and I want the staff on high alert. We'll have nosy press and wanderers trying to slip inside. I want stiffened penalties for law breakers. Make sure that gets out before the dinner."

"Yes, your majesty." "Of course, your majesty." "I'll see to it right away, sir."

Toothless slunk as the large man and his human horde left. He watched them go around another corner, their footsteps still bouncing off the walls. He was listening to them and didn't hear the footsteps lagging behind.

"What's he going to think?"

"Its okay, Astrid, it'll be fine."

"What's Mom going to think? Of course he'll go right home and tell her."

"Does that matter?"

"You know what everyone is saying, Hiccup."

"Yes, I know. If anything, it gets me points. I mean, I did save you from being raped. What? You know that's what Snotlout would have done. He's like that."

"Is that what you would have done?"

"What does that mean?"

"You're not exactly known for your chastity, Hiccup."

"I wouldn't have raped you, Astrid."

"Not now."

"What?"

Toothless looked back at the two in time to see his new master stopping in the hallway. His hand let go of the yellow one's and he looked at her like he'd never seen her before. For a moment, neither one of them spoke.

"You think I would have done that?"

"I-I think there was a time when you might have."

"Astrid, I would have never-"

"You've never pushed a girl into a sexual encounter before?"

New master didn't say anything. He balled his fists. "I can't say that."

"Exactly."

Something was wrong. He could see it on his new master, sense it in the air between them. He couldn't stand it.

_Meow_.

New master's attention snapped away from the yellow one. "Toothless?"

Toothless stepped out from behind the metal man and gladly walked into his new master's waiting hands. He picked him up and cradled him, and Toothless nuzzled into the familiar scent of his new master.

"Where have you been, bud?"

"Hiccup? Where are you?" The large human called.

"I'm right behind you, Dad."

Toothless peeked over new master's shoulder at the yellow one. Her arms crossed over her chest and she didn't look happy.


	20. Chapter 20

A/N – I'm really sorry for the extended wait for this update. I fell off the ball and then watched it roll away. I'm trying to self-publish a novel and it's a lot to do. I'm proofing it myself (probably a mistake, but it's saving 1,600 dollars.) and it's draining.

Anyway, I promise I won't abandon this story or any story. I'm just busy and updates won't be regular. Enjoy this chapter, even though it's a little boring, and don't forget to leave a review! I do enjoy reviews.

X

**Chapter 20: Even if the Skies Get Rough**

The entire castle was whispering before Alistair returned to his small servants' quarters. Those whispers followed him, trailing behind and nipping at his heels, and he couldn't walk fast enough.

"Ingrid," he said as he came through the door. He closed it quickly behind him.

"What is it now?" Ingrid asked, looking pitiful from her place on the bed.

"I'm not sure what it is," Alistair shook his head. He didn't believe it either, but he had witnessed it first-hand. He saw how that heathen looked at Astrid. He had stared at Snotlout with vile hatred, but all of that had melted in the instant he looked at Astrid. It was…something else. Alistair cleared this throat and sat on his daughter's empty bed, as his wife's stare hardened. "But I think you'll want to hear it from me first."

"Go ahead," Ingrid said with a half-hearted wave of her hand. "It doesn't matter, my heart's already been torn to pieces."

Alistair retold the scene from the corridor, of finding Snotlout with his hands on their daughter, and how before he could intervene, Prince Hiccup did. Ingrid's attention sharpened as the story progressed, as the bloodied tooth hit the floor, as threats were made. At the end, Alistair paused. Prince Hiccup had taken Astrid by the hand and led her down the hall. She hadn't looked back. But this small tidbit he kept from his wife.

"He said those things?" Ingrid asked. "He…he said that to Snotlout?"

"Yes, dear, I was right there," he said.

Ingrid shook her head, mouth parted, when a storm burst through their door. Alistair stood at once, fists clenched, but instead of a threat, Astrid stomped inside and slammed the door closed. She huffed, teeth clenched, and stared at the door as if it held all her all her problems.

"Astrid?" Ingrid breathed, leaning out of the bed.

"Hi," Astrid said. She grimaced and tightened her arms across her chest.

"What are you doing home?" Ingrid asked, trying not to sound desperate, but she couldn't help it.

Astrid huffed again. "Apparently, I _looked_ tired. Hiccup told me to go take a nap."

Alistair could not ignore the bitterness and anger on her tone. He wanted her to tell him everything, like how much he should hate the prince, to confide in them.

"Are you tired?" Alistair asked instead.

"No," Astrid spat. She groaned. "Tired of him, maybe."

Alistair wanted to ask, but he didn't have to. She barreled on, word after word, flowing in a heavy rant like he had seen Ingrid do before.

"He just doesn't get it. He thinks he does, and he'll do something or say something nice and I think maybe he's not the idiot prince I thought, but then he does something stupid and selfish. He expects people to do whatever he tells them, he expects everything. He expects respect and loyalty and honor and he's just a spoiled piece of … urg!" Astrid didn't finish that sentence, but instead drove her fist into the wall.

"Astrid!" Ingrid shouted.

Astrid's knuckles bled, and she let her mother bandage them. It was the most energy Ingrid had in days.

X

Astrid stared upward at her ceiling, lying on her lumpy mattress. Her mother hummed in the other room while she stirred some concoction in the pot. It smelled…Astrid sighed. It didn't smell anything like the food she'd been eating. In her short stint at the cabin, she'd been a little spoiled, too.

But that was no excuse for Hiccup to be such…a…whatever he was. He'd acted so proud of himself when he'd "saved" her from Snotlout, and he expected to be treated like some king on a white horse. When she didn't, his pride turned sour.

"I could have not come this way," Hiccup had said with his arms crossed and a pout on his face. "Then what would you've done?"

"My father was right there, if you didn't notice," Astrid had said to him. "He would have knocked a tooth out, too. Maybe worse."

"Then he'd be thrown in the dungeon," Hiccup said quickly. "He's lucky I was there. Snotlout can't touch me."

Had their time together meant nothing? Did coming back to the castle mean that everything went back to normal? Had he changed at all? Doubt and fear told her no. He won't change. He doesn't love her like he says. It's an act. She's convenient. He wants sex, and can lie his way to it. He is still the hooligan child that he was.

Her thoughts pushed tears behind her eyes. No, she refused. She pressed her palms into her eyes to stop them.

"Astrid, the food is almost ready," Ingrid said from the other side of the partition.

Astrid didn't trust her voice enough to speak. She did not want to hear what she felt, or let her mother know how the prince had wrought her insides.

"Astrid?" Ingrid asked in a softer tone.

Astrid closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, although the trick had never worked on her mother before. Ingrid's soft footsteps rounded the partition and she paused at the end of the bed. She made a gentle sound, like a hum, and her footsteps walked back into the kitchen. Astrid slowly released a sigh of relief, but her relaxation was cut short by a quick, heavy knock on the door.

"Oh?" Ingrid said as she stepped to it. The knob creaked and the hinged whined as it opened. "Gobber? Hello."

"Hi, Ingrid, is everything alright?" Gobber asked, his tone low.

"Yes, yes, everything…is fine."

"Good," Gobber said with a sigh. "Is Astrid home?"

Ingrid hesitated.

"It's nothing serious," Gobber added. "She's not in trouble. Hiccup asked for her."

"He did?" Ingrid asked, a quiver in her voice.

"Yeah, it seems he's quite fond of your daughter." Gobber let out a chuckle, but when Ingrid didn't return his humor he cleared his throat. He lowered his voice so that Astrid could barely hear, "I wouldn't worry too much, Ingrid. I know he's a rough one but he's got his father's heart in there somewhere."

"I doubt it," Ingrid said under her breath.

"Now," Gobber said, mock-serious. He chuckled. "I know. But, he cares about her a good deal. If he didn't, she wouldn't still be here. I hear that the other girls are fuming with jealousy, too."

Ingrid mumbled something mixed with a dry laugh.

Gobber laughed, too. "I'm sure. Is the lass home? I don't think Hiccup can pick out his own clothes without her."

"I'll wake her," Ingrid said, not without a small amount of bitterness.

Astrid sat up as her mother came around the partition. Ingrid opened her mouth but Astrid spoke first, "I know, I wasn't sleeping."

Ingrid's face softened, and a sadness returned to her eyes.

"I'll be fine, Ma. We wouldn't want the dear prince to forget to wear his pants." Astrid had said it sarcastically, but Ingrid's bottom lip vanished between her teeth. Astrid tried to give her a warm smile, but her stomach churned and she was sure it hadn't been very encouraging.

"Ah, there you are," Gobber said with a great smile and a sweep of his arms. "I'm glad I found you, he's a mess without you."

Gobber had smiled, and Astrid tried to laugh, but it came out as a pitiful sound.

Gobber walked with her all the way to Hiccup's room. The small talked had evaporated after the first few corridors and they moved in silence. They passed several servants and guards, and not a single one of them didn't turn to look at Astrid. A few pointed, saying things too low for her to hear. She did not avert her eyes. She stared back at them, daring them to speak louder.

"Everyone already knows about Snotlout's nose," Gobber said in a heavy sigh. "It's scary how fast these things travel."

_Undoubtedly with help from you_, Astrid thought.

"You two are really the talk of the castle," Gobber said. "And in most of the kingdom, too. You know, some girls would kill for your fame."

"What?" Astrid asked.

Gobber's face fell, and he quickly shuffled the last few steps to Hiccup's bedroom door. "Oh, look, here we are. You should go check on him."

Astrid huffed. She opened the door and closed it, and only after it latched did Gobber's uneven footsteps trail away. She turned around to the familiar room. someone had cleaned it and left the stench of their lemon-cleaner behind.

Hiccup sat on his bed. He still wore the clothes from that morning. Toothless slept beside him, curled into a black ball, gently rising and falling with his breaths.

"I turned in the list to my dad," he said. "He's with the council right now."

"Shouldn't you be with him?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup shrugged. "Half of the girls are related to someone on the council…so I'm good with not being there when I turned them down."

"Oh," Astrid nodded. She brought her hands together in front of her. Hiccup tapped his toe on the floor, hand on his neck.

Hiccup sighed loudly and stood. "Look, Astrid…I feel bad, but…I'm confused. I'm mad at you, but I don't know why. I-I don't want to be mad at you and I really don't want you to be mad at me. It's…like this pit in my stomach. I…I'm sorry for whatever it was that I did."

Astrid blinked at him. He's spoken with sincere that clutched at her chest. However, those feelings did not match the words that spilled from her lips. "You're apologizing for something you don't know you did?"

Hiccup shook his head. His expression turned unreadable and his voice darkened. "Okay, tell me what I did and I'll apologize."

Astrid swallowed. This could either go terrible, or slightly less so. Either way, she knew the confrontation couldn't be pushed away. She inhaled deeply. "Okay. You're selfish. You expect people to just like you because of who you are, not because you're a friend." Hiccup's expression altered slightly, and her voice hitched. She added in a meek voice, "If you weren't a prince, who would you be?"

The air between them thickened, threatened to implode and shatter them both in its silent wrath. Hiccup considered her, her words, all with that same expression. His green eyes bore in to her, barely blinking, and when she thought she could take the quiet no longer, he spoke.

"I suppose I'd be a skinny jerk," he said casually. He laughed bitterly and added, "And probably a virgin, too. I mean, who'd want to sleep with me if I wasn't a prince? It's kind of the only thing I got going for me."

He broke the stare and looked at the floor, hand rubbing the back of his neck. She saw it again, the other side to Hiccup. It fueled her words.

"Probably not," Astrid said softly. "You've got a sweet underside, I've seen it. you can be tender, thoughtful, and considerate when you want to be…when you don't put yourself first and only think about sex."

"Is that what you think I think about?" Hiccup asked, his tone deflated and angry. "Sex and myself?"

She tried to form an answer, but his sudden outburst silenced her.

"I do think about those things, who the hell doesn't?" Hiccup laughed humorlessly. "I think about myself, about my future, and what will happen if I marry some bitch I don't like, what would happen if I ran off and married a servant girl instead, what kind of hell the kingdom would be in if I did. I think about what kind of king I'll be, the chaotic cesspool that the kingdom will become because I can't do anything. I think about how I'm not the king I should be, how I'll never be close to my father." Hiccup paused and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes and paced in front of the window with his face buried in his hands.

"Hiccup," Astrid started, but he cut her off again.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup said. "I-I didn't mean to rant like that. I'll try to be better. No, I will be better. I want to, for you." He took a step toward her. "I don't like you being mad at me. I wasn't lying when I said I loved you. I want you to love me, too."

Astrid couldn't find the words right away. She took several breaths as Hiccup stood there, terrified and trembling. "I can't say that I do…but there have been times, with you, when I've felt something I haven't before. I'm not ready to call it love."

Hiccup closed the space between them and reached for her hands – she hadn't realized she'd balled them in her skirt. He loosened her fingers and laced his own in them. He pulled her closer and leaned in. She met him the rest of the way. This kiss was not as heated as others. It was a reminder, a promise of mutual feelings.

"Gobber said you were having trouble dressing yourself," Astrid hummed into his lips.

Hiccup smiled. "Yeah, I guess you could call it that. I haven't opened the closet yet. This dinner tonight is stressing me out."

"Go bathe and I'll pick something out. What's the dress code for this thing?" Astrid pulled her hands away and walked toward the armoire, pointing to it.

"Yeah, it's one of those ceremonial things. Fancy. If I'm not properly dressed, Mom will let me know pretty soon," Hiccup half-laughed. He smiled that smile and Astrid felt weak in the knees.

Astrid rummaged through the armoire for a second time. She knew as soon as she opened the door which suit she would pick. She reached inside and pulled the surprisingly heavy suit out and let the sunlight hit it. It was a rich green with brown trimming, made to fit his skinny torso perfectly. She laid it on the bed so that when he came back into the room in nothing but his towel, he'd see it.

"Oh, the green one?" Hiccup asked as he ran the towel over his hair.

"Mm-hm," Astrid said as she pulled a fresh pair of underwear from the drawer. "It will bring out your eyes."

Hiccup had chuckled, but she had been right. It brought out the bright green in his eyes. The suit thickened his shoulders and torso. He looked like he should be posing for a larger-than-life painting.

"What?" Hiccup asked, spying her in the mirror.

"You look good," Astrid said honestly.

He did not look at himself in the mirror. He smiled that smile again and looked down at the ground.


	21. Chapter 21

A/N – Sorry about the long update wait. This time of year is chaos. Thank you all for being awesome and reading this story, and I'm really glad that you're enjoying it. Don't forget to leave me a review – it means a lot!

X

**Chapter 21: Spin Until Spun**

"You look good," Astrid said. She stood behind Hiccup as he studied himself in the extravagant mirror that stood twice as tall as him. The green suit had been tailored to his frame and didn't hang or bulge. It fit him perfectly. "Handsome, some might say."

Hiccup tore his doubtful expression away from his reflection and smiled at hers. "You think so?"

Astrid smiled back, realizing her compliment. "Yes, I think so. Green is your color."

Hiccup's smile widened as he turned around. "You've never told me you thought I was handsome."

"I didn't want to inflate your ego," Astrid quipped. Her own reflection looked pitiful and ragged. The faded color of her dress was drab next to the vibrant green and shined medals of his suit.

"Coming from you it's different," Hiccup said with his eyes on his shined shoes.

"How so?"

"I-I care what you think," he said quietly, a secret. Blush splashed across his freckled cheeks and nose. He glanced back up at her and a small smile opened his lips.

_Meow_.

A second after Toothless' announcement, a heavy knock landed on the bedroom door.

"Hiccup?" Stoick asked on the other side.

"It's open," Hiccup called. The door opened and Stoick stepped inside, putting a hand between himself and his kingly following of servants and guards. "Ah, I see you've started knocking."

Stoick's eyes darted to Astrid. She quickly looked to the floor. She saw him shuffle his feet as he cleared his throat. Damn it, Hiccup.

"Yes, well," Stoick began to say, his voice higher than normal. "I came to make sure you're ready. The dinner starts soon."

Hiccup extended his arms, motioning to himself. "I'm as ready as I'm going to be."

Stoick stepped forward and made a circle around his son. He brought a hand to his chin and let out a low hum. He paused and lifted a beefy finger to his son's chest. He pointed to a golden medal along the left breast.

"This is the Berkian crest," Stoick said as he adjusted it, straightening it with unnecessary precision. "We wear it over our hearts. Wear it proudly, Son."

Hiccup looked at himself in the mirror, at the medal and then over at Astrid. "Okay."

Hurried footsteps thundered in the hall. Stoick had taken a step toward the hall when the bedroom door burst open. Gobber half-fell inside, out of breath and panting.

"Gobber?" Stoick exclaimed. "What is it?"

Gobber put his fake hand into the air, today a simple wooden look-a-like, and waited to catch his speeding breath. His large chest huffed as he leaned against the door. The servants on the other side were waiting intently.

"Out with it!" Stoick roared.

"The docks," Gobber said, pointing behind him, nearly jabbing a servant in the eye with a wooden finger. "They just got here…early…unannounced…on their way to the castle."

"Who?" Stoick asked slowly.

Gobber coughed, bent over on his knees, and then stood back up. "Berserker sails."

Stoick said nothing at first. His calmness dissolved and his eyes widened. "They're here? Now?!"

"Now." Gobber pointed to the floor.

Stoick rubbed his face and roared at no one. Even Hiccup watched as his father paced, hands on his head and beard, mumbling absently to himself. Astrid backed up to the wall and flattened herself against it.

"What's the plan, King?" Gobber asked. "Set their boat on fire? Fill them full of arrows?"

"No," Stoick said firmly. "Invite them to dinner. This is a big night. It'll be an honor for Oswald. Sit him beside me."

"Alright," Gobber nodded. "I'll pass that along to the ballroom staff. You know how they love last minute changes."

"Just go!" Stoick pointed down the hall. "I need to be at the gates when they arrive. You, too, Hiccup."

"Why do I have to go?" Hiccup asked, almost a whine but not quite.

"Because you aren't a child anymore. You're the royal heir and you need to learn these courtesies. I won't be around to babysit you forever." Stoick inhaled and puffed out his chest and let it go in a huff.

"You're going to have to make some notes," Hiccup said. He smiled, "I'll make Astrid memorize them. She'll keep me in line."

Stoick's eyes gazed at her and she quickly looked away. Stoick sighed, "Aye, she's done better than most. Now let's go, Hiccup. If Oswald makes it to the gates before I'm there to greet him, I'll never hear the end of it."

X

The castle's normal pre-ball clamor escalated quickly at the spreading news of impending Berserker guests. Hiccup didn't give Astrid the option to stay behind. He pulled her along to the gates with his father's royal entourage, all the while Stoick barked to the servant on his right. The servant scribbled everything down on a thick notepad.

Stoick walked quickly, and with each of his large strides the others took at least two to keep up. They reached the gates and halted behind the king. Servants had hurried down to the gates as well, straightening and laying out a welcoming red carpet, adding a few potted flowers and plants.

Stoick released a heavy sigh. "Looks like we beat them here. With any luck, traffic kept them."

Astrid leaned closer to Hiccup and whispered, "Who is here?"

"The Berserkers," Hiccup answered. "It's a lesser kingdom across the archipelago. They've got a rough history of barbarianism. King Oswald and my dad are friends, thankfully."

"Then why are you tense?" Astrid asked. She saw it in the muscles of his neck, the way his jaw clenched, how his hands were balled into white-knuckled fists.

"Because his son likes to use me as a knife-throwing target," Hiccup said bitterly. He shook his hands free of their aggressive stance. "Dagur didn't inherit his father's good nature."

At those words, a horn sounded. Hiccup straightened up and King Stoick did the same. Astrid followed the servants' protocol for visitors, to bow her head slightly and keep her hands folded in front of her.

The gate opened and a grand carriage pulled through. The horses were gray and wore what looked like armor made from bones. The carriage pulled up to the steps and Berkian servants unrolled the carpet with expert ease and opened the door to the carriage.

Stoick stepped forward with his arms open. "Oswald, my friend, it's good to see you!"

The young man that ducked out of the carriage did not look like a king; he looked barely twenty. On his head he wore a vicious helmet of metal and bone. A golden chest plate adorned his broad chest. His muscular arms had been left bare.

Hiccup tensed beside her.

"Stoick!" the young man exclaimed, throwing his arms out as wide as he could.

Stoick said nothing at first. "Dagur? Where is your father?"

Dagur's expression turned from excited to dark so quickly that Astrid fought against a bubble in her stomach. But no sooner had the darkness in his expression appeared than it vanished.

"My father is no more," Dagur said sorrowfully.

Stoick did not look pleased at the news. "So that would mean you're-"

"The new Berserker king," Dagur said plainly. He stepped down from the carriage and his dark eyes moved from Stoick to Hiccup, and his expression instantly changed. He exclaimed, "Hiccup! Look at you! Still all arms and legs, I see."

"Dagur," Hiccup nodded, in the most forced patience Astrid had seen. "What brings you to Berk so early?

Dagur's grin did not settle well with her, and by the anxiety on Hiccup's forced expression, he didn't like it either.

"I like to keep people on their toes," Dagur said. He sighed dramatically. "When kingdoms expect visitors, they throw out all the stops. They're trying to impress. But, if your surprise them, you get to see what they're really like."

"Nevertheless," Stoick interrupted. "Today is a special day, Dagur."

"Oh, I heard," Dagur grinned. "Little Prince Hiccup picks his bride."

Hiccup cringed, but Astrid didn't think anyone noticed. Most were eyeing Dagur and Stoick.

"Yes, tonight's dinner is a celebration," Stoick said. "You will be an honored guest. Come, it starts soon."

Dagur did not argue as his carriage was led away toward the stables. Stoick led him through the halls to the grand ball room, with both his own and Dagur's small entourage in tow. Hiccup kept a few paces behind the crowd, and likewise did Astrid.

"Are you alright?" Astrid whispered as the majority of the party entered the ball room. she caught glimpses of sparkling chandeliers and tables piled high with finger foods through the doors.

"No," Hiccup shook his head. "I don't like this. I don't trust Dagur. Him being a king just…I don't like it." He shrugged and swayed his arms. "When we were kids, we used to call him Dagur the Deranged, because we all thought he was crazy. He told us once how he took a kitchen knife and went into the hen house to see what it was like to kill something. He ended up killing almost all of the chickens, and he was mad when the cook stopped him, so he stabbed him in the foot."

"Is that a true story?" Astrid asked, knowing how men exaggerated. Why would boys be different?

"I don't know," Hiccup said. "I'd like to think that it's not, but knowing Dagur, it's probably true."

"Hiccup?" Stoick called from the ballroom. The door opened and he stuck his head out. "Don't make me sit with that madman by myself."

"I'll be right there," Hiccup said, reflecting his father's grim face.

Stoick vanished into the ballroom. Hiccup sighed, looked regretfully at Astrid, and yanked the door open. Astrid took a deep breath and followed.

The ballroom was unlike anything she had seen before. Crystal chandeliers reflected light in every direction, sparkling like stars. The golden walls made the room glow like a morning sunlight. Fine china had been laid out on round tables that filled the room. It looked like something out of a fairy tale.

Hiccup pulled her out of her trance. He tugged her hand toward the head table, even more grand than the others, where King Stoick sat at center. To his left was Dagur. Hiccup sat on his father's right, leaving a seat between them. The Queen, she assumed. Astrid stood with the other King's servants, behind the royal table. While Dagur spoke about new Berserkian policies, the ballroom slowly filled.

It was easy to not listen to Dagur. Women wore fantastic dresses and jewels that shimmed in the light. Men dressed in immaculate suits. A band nested in the corner, with shined brass instruments and perfect black attire, playing a charming melody and bounced throughout the room. Astrid spotted several of Hiccup's girls, swirling about the room in fine dress and glimmering jewels.

Astrid had the sinking suspicion that people looked at her. That was silly, she told herself. She stood behind the royal table, of course people looked in her direction. She stood behind the prince, and everyone looked at him. That was it.

"I for one think this entire process ridiculous," Dagur announced. "If it were me, which I'm glad it's not, I wouldn't choose one girl. They'd all become my wife. It's a perk of making the rules. Right Hiccup?"

Astrid saw the look on Hiccup's face. However, he turned to Dagur without disgust or ill-intention and said, "Are you kidding? I can barely deal with one of them. I'd go crazy if I had to deal with that many wives."

Dagur laughed and several faces turned to look at him. Stoick did not share his humor, although Hiccup looked pleased with himself.

The dinner went on, eating and conversation and introductions to the King's table. The Queen barely sat down at the table, to Astrid's relief. She spent her time swirling about the room, talking and laughing and standing taller than most with her hair and heels. Astrid's legs were beginning to hurt and she wished this would hurry up. At last, one of the council members stepped up to a podium on the other side of the ballroom. Silence filled the room as attention diverted to him.

The actual ceremony didn't take long. The names of the girls Hiccup had chosen were announced, to the crowd's delight and anguish, and the dinner concluded. People began to leave, saying their goodbyes and waving. Astrid saw several of the girls hugging each other, a few of them cried, makeup running down their cheeks in hideous black streaks.

Dagur was shown to his guest suite, and Astrid overheard Stoick tell the guard to keep watch on him at all times. He shared his son's distrust of the visitor, it seemed. Astrid didn't question it as Hiccup returned to his room, exhausted as if he'd done hard labor. He changed out of his suit, with Astrid's help, and she returned it to its hanger. Delicate items like this had special washing instructions, but Astrid had never done them.

"Would you mind getting some wine from the kitchen?" Hiccup asked as he flopped onto his bed.

"Of course," Astrid stood up, even though her legs hurt and her feet ached from standing so long. "What kind do you prefer?"

"Red," Hiccup answered. He threw an arm over his eyes.

Astrid had shut the bedroom door behind her before she realized that he'd asked, not commanded. It didn't matter much. She still had to comply, regardless of how nicely he asked. Either way, it was an order. Astrid made her way down to the kitchens and received a partially chilled bottle of red wine from the not-so-happy chef, and a glass. She lost herself in her thoughts and didn't mind the way back to the room until a soft, feminine voice pulled her out of them.

"Oh, I'd hoped to run into you," Heather's soft tone mirrored her features. She hadn't worn the absurd makeup the others had. Astrid swallowed. She'd forgotten that Hiccup had kept her in the running.

"Do you need something, Ma'am?" Astrid asked with a slight bow of her head.

"No, no, I just wanted to give you something." Heather pulled a magazine out from under her arm. "My uncle gave it to me tonight, but I thought you'd like it more."

Astrid blinked and reached for the magazine with a careful hand. Her heart dropped at the sight of the cover. It was of Prince Hiccup and her. By the looks of it, the picture had been taken the day they'd arrived back from the cabin.

"The article is a compelling read," Heather said with a sweet smile that betrayed her eyes. With that, the dark headed girl turned and padded back down the corridor, humming a little under her breath.

Astrid's hand shook. The words that fell underneath the picture were bright and bold. _The prince and his girlfriend return from a vacation in the woods. Maid or whore?_

Footsteps sounded in the corridor behind her and Astrid rushed back to Hiccup's room. She shut the door behind it, hugging the bottle and magazine.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Hiccup asked, sitting up. Astrid turned around and his eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"Your wine," Astrid said, swallowing the word 'sir' that almost followed.

"Yes, I can see that, but what's that?" Hiccup jumped from the bed and before she could move, he yanked the magazine from her hand. He grumbled in disgust. "Why do you have this?"

"Heather gave it to me," Astrid said quietly.

"What?" Hiccup's eyes widened, anger. "Why would she do that? Maybe I was wrong about her. She's a bitch just like my mother. Next round, she's out."

"Is this how the kingdom sees me?" Astrid asked in such a tiny voice that she wasn't sure he'd heard her.

"I don't know," Hiccup said as he crumbled the magazine and tossed it into the trash. "It doesn't matter. They're starving for gossip, no matter how big of a lie or how stupid. It's all about selling magazines."

Astrid set the bottle and glass down with shaking hands. She tightened her hand on the bottle opener, but she couldn't get the corkscrew into the bottle. Hiccup's arms came around her and his hands squeezed hers.

"Don't worry about that tabloid," Hiccup said in her ear. "I know what it's like to see my face on the cover slammed with lies and nonsense. Trust me. Half of that stuff they say isn't true, or if it is, it's been horrible inflated. Here," Hiccup let go and went to his dressed. Her rummaged a bit, but then pulled out an old tabloid. "This article gives details of a night I spent with some girl named…here it is, Yolanda. But none of it happened. I remember that girl, I kissed her, we danced, and them I left. The rest of the night she told this magazine is complete bullshit."

"Then why did she do it?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Her ten seconds of fame, I guess. It's just like that story about you and me. You're not my…whore, Astrid. You're a friend. A good friend. A best friend."

_Meow_. Toothless stretched his back along Hiccup's pant leg.

"Behind Toothless, of course," Hiccup smiled down at the cat, scratching his head.

_Meow_.

Astrid smiled and let out a soft laugh. Hiccup uncorked the wine and poured a glass, but would only drink if she agreed to join him. She agreed, and they spent the evening sitting on his bed while he told her outrageous stories the kingdom's gossip vines had spun on him, mostly lies, of course. She listened to every word he said, head on his shoulder. Just a few moments ago the ground had fallen out from underneath her feet. Hiccup had appeared and set it right. Strange how he made the world sensible and chaotic at the same time.


	22. Chapter 22

A/N – Hey, remember me? Sorry about the long wait. I've been busy with school, work, and getting my novel finished. Hopefully, it'll be ready to publish in a few months. Random – if anyone is interested in being a beta reader for that novel, let me know. Caution – please only PM me if you genuinely have the time and energy to read an 80k novel. If you want to, but don't have the time, that's okay. I understand.

I admit that writing Heather in this story has been hard. I'm a fan of her character and of the dynamic she brings, and her friendship with Astrid. So writing her as a meanie here has been a little difficult. I'm struggling through.

Anyway, back to the task at hand – Onward!

X

**Chapter 22: More Sure by the Second**

"Your bath is ready," Astrid said, walking out of the steamed bathroom. Sweat tingled against her scalp.

"Thanks," Hiccup said as he unbuttoned his pajama shirt. He tossed it onto the chair. He undressed before he reached the bathroom door, then paused and leaned against the doorway, unashamed. "You know the tub is plenty big. There's more than enough room for one more."

"Not today," Astrid said with a slight shake in her head. Not that she didn't want to. A relaxing hot bath sounded soothing, but she couldn't in good sense join him after reading such words about herself. What if someone walked in and discovered the two of them bathing together? She wanted no more of that kind of publicity.

"Not today, as in maybe another day?" Hiccup asked, eyebrows soft.

"Maybe," Astrid nodded, a smile playing with her lips.

Hiccup smirked, and vanished into the steam of the bathroom. Astrid let her eyes linger on his rear before the door closed. Scrawny, yes. Unattractive? No. Strangely enough, Hiccup had grown more attractive over the past weeks. It could be that his arrogance downplayed his features, and the more time she spent with him the more his gentle side showed.

Astrid retrieved his discarding pajamas from the chair and floor. He'd worn them several days. Time for a wash. Instead of folding them, she tossed them into the hamper. No sooner had the soft material _pluffed_ to the bottom than a hand knocked on the door. Astrid hesitated. There were few people in the castle she wanted to see without Hiccup there.

They knocked again, this time speaking. "Housekeeping. Bedclothes day."

"Oh," Astrid sighed. "I'm coming."

Astrid opened the door. A middle-aged maid stood on the other side. Astrid knew the face, she worked with her mother, but not the name. The older maid's eyes quickly looked Astrid up and down, a sort of mild disgust on her wrinkled lips.

"Yes?" Astrid snapped.

"It's bedclothes day," she said slower, word by word, and Astrid wanted to slam the door in her snobbish face.

"You know where the bed is," Astrid motioned toward the bed, taking a large step out of the woman's way.

The maid hesitated. "I'd rather not touch it, if you don't mind."

"How will you get them to the laundry if you don't touch them?" Astrid crossed her arms. She had an idea of why, but she wanted to hear the woman say it. Anger bubbled. She wanted that confrontation. She wanted a reason to be angry.

The maid pursed her lips, eyes mulling over a response. "Could you get them for me? _I'd_ rather not touch his bed."

"But it's fine for me?" Astrid spat.

The maid looked to the bed.

Astrid groaned loudly, purposefully, making the maid jump. A small win. She stomped to Hiccup's large bed and peeled back the blankets. She pulled the soft sheets up and wadded them into a ball, and tossed them at the maid. She caught them, not without an audible discomfort.

"Thank you," said the older woman, not without a hinge of bitterness.

Huffing, Astrid slammed the door. What nerve. Her own treated her like a street whore, too. Astrid had the thought that she wouldn't see another of the help for the rest of the day, when she turned around and saw the bare bed. Sheets. She needed clean sheets.

She had time before Hiccup would get out of the bath, and put off gathering his clothes and laying them out. She stalked down the hall and kept her head high as she passed other servants, none of whom spoke or made her presence known. Fine. She could play that game too. She retrieved fresh, silk sheets from the linen closet and made her way back to Hiccup's room.

"Where are you going with our finest sheets?"

Astrid paused, and dreaded to turn to the speaker. She did, because duty told her to. The Queen stood in an adjoining corridor, assumably with something else to do than stop and chat with Astrid. She held a fan in front of her face today, ornate and too decorative to be of practical use.

"It is bedclothes day, Ma'am." Astrid nodded, carefully giving a short bow. She didn't want to drop the sheets.

"Ah, fresh bedclothes," the Queen inhaled and fanned herself slowly. "That is fine. Make sure my son is in the East Wing Lounge by nine, we're having brunch with the girls."

"Yes, Ma'am," Astrid said with a nod.

The Queen resumed her careful walk, the only way she could in those too-tall, pointy shoes. Astrid hesitated a moment before turning back to her task at hand. Back in Hiccup's room, she released a sigh she hadn't known she held. She set the fresh sheets on the fine chair and began to redress the bed, mind only semi on her hands.

"You okay?"

Astrid jumped. Hiccup stood halfway between her and the open bathroom door, a towel wrapped around his narrow waist.

"Yeah, I'm just…sheets. I don't like sheets." Astrid resumed the task.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked, walking behind her to the dresser. "Not that I'm calling that a lie, but you've been tucking that corner in for about five minutes. I think it's good."

Astrid blinked, had she been? She curled her fingers away from the sheet and patted the rest of it smooth. She reached for the top sheet as Hiccup's towel hit the floor.

"It's nothing, I think, but I was coming back here with the clean sheets, and your mother stopped me."

Hiccup stopped abruptly, underwear in his fists. "What did she do?"

"Nothing," Astrid said quickly. "She was nice. It was weird."

"That is weird," Hiccup agreed. He stepped into his underwear, and pulled them up over his exposed self. "She's usual the nasty one."

"I know," Astrid said before she could stop herself. "I mean…not that she's…she's just…"

"It's fine," Hiccup laughed. "I know how she is. I'm not the biggest fan of her myself, if you haven't noticed."

Astrid blinked. "But she is still your mother."

Hiccup shrugged. "I know, but sometimes it kind of feels like she sees me as a thing rather than a person. You know? It's like I'm just an extension of her self-importance. She's a lot of things, but motherly isn't one of them."

"At least she cares about you," Astrid said.

Hiccup laughed bitterly. "Only if I make her look good."

Astrid frowned. "That's mean to say about your mother."

Hiccup mirrored her frown. "Please, she barely even raised me. I didn't know who she was until I was like five."

Astrid raised a brow. "But…how?"

Hiccup shrugged. "She didn't raise me. Someone else had to change my diapers and teach me how to walk. Such tasks are below her."

"So you did have a nurse maid?" Astrid said with a smile, eager to change the dreary subject.

Thankfully, he laughed. "Yeah, I did. I miss her from time to time. She was nice."

"Who was she?"

"I don't know. I don't remember anything more than she raised me." Hiccup chuckled, a softness coming over his eyes. He fingered the hem of his shirt. "She used to sing to me. When it stormed, she would sleep in my bed with me. I…uh, used to be afraid of the dark. This castle made the worst sounds at night, and I was certain that there was a monster in the halls. She would sing me to sleep and then stay."

"That's really nice," Astrid said, imagining a small Hiccup afraid of the dark and crawling into a woman's arms. "I suppose that's where it all started."

"What started?"

"The need of a woman," Astrid said seriously, but her humor won out. She laughed.

"Oh, that's clever," Hiccup pointed at her, a smile on his face. He pulled the shirt over his head and tousled his wet hair.

X

Brunch went by, tense and calm in strange waved mixture that left Astrid on edge. The girls were nervous. She saw in in their faces. Heavy makeup tried to hide dark circles. Fingernails tapped on coffee cups. Toes tapped the floor. Knees shook. Legs crossed, uncrossed, and crossed again. Only the Queen seem undisturbed.

Hiccup ate, but absently. The girls picked at their food. Astrid stood behind him, obediently, as the girls talked of simple, air-filling things. Eyes glanced at Hiccup every few words. Hesitant and worried. Even the dark-haired Heather looked distraught.

"Well, I suppose it's time to start the day," The Queen sighed at last. The girls looked up at her, hopeful and strained. The Queen kept her eyes on Hiccup as she spoke, "Dear Hiccup, we've already arranged a schedule, same as before. Unless you'd rather pick the dates yourself?"

The room silenced, a deathly sound, as Hiccup chewed his last bit of toast and swallowed. He glanced upward, "Nah, that's okay."

The relief that shook the room fell somewhere between bitterness, tension, and fear. Astrid could only imagine what the girls thought. Maybe one of them had hoped he'd secretly preferred them the entire time, or that he liked one more than the other. Who knows.

The girls shuffled out of the hall, some arm in arm with another, some trying to sneak woeful glances at Hiccup, who reclined in his dining chair. The Queen followed after them. the door closed and Hiccup groaned. He stretched his arms over his head, something in his back popped.

"You think one of them will pick a couple's massage?" Hiccup asked to the ceiling. "That sounds nice."

"I'm sure one of them would if you hinted at it," Astrid said. She lowered her voice, "They seemed pretty desperate at this point."

Hiccup's eyes flickered to her. A brow raised. "What do you mean?"

"They want to impress you," Astrid half-laughed. How could he still be so oblivious? "The time is running out to seduce the young prince, to secure their future."

"Huh," Hiccup said, blinking and dropping his arms to his sides. He reached for an orange slice. He handed another to her. "Hungry?"

She graciously accepted the fruit, and bit into it. Citrus exploded in her mouth, tart and tangy.

"Like oranges?" Hiccup grinned.

"I guess I do," Astrid smiled back. "I've never had one before."

Hiccup's grin faltered, then widened. "Well, now's better than never. Eat up. You and I both need the brain power to survive these next dates. I foresee extreme clinginess in my future."

"Ah! There you are!"

Astrid and Hiccup both jumped. Astrid dropped the half-eaten orange slice, and it flopped onto the floor. Dagur leaned into the doorway, dressed casually, his red hair washed and pulled back into a pony tail. His wide eyes stared at Hiccup.

"Dagur," Hiccup said with false enthusiasm. "Good morning."

"Likewise," Dagur sauntered into the hall, letting the door fall shut behind him. He plucked a cold sausage from the table. "No wonder those girls are trying to kill each other. I would too if I could like live this for the rest of my life."

"Don't you already?" Hiccup asked. "I mean, being a king isn't without perks."

"True, true," Dagur said, using the bitten sausage to point at Hiccup. "I still stand by what I said before. I would make all those girls my wife. Wives. I'd never get bored."

"I stand by what I said, one is already too much for me," Hiccup shrugged. The humor in his words had vanished.

Dagur stuffed the rest of the sausage into his mouth, barely chewing, and swallowed. He folded his arms around his back and slowly stepped closer to Hiccup's end of the table. His wide, wild green eyes went from Hiccup to Astrid, back again, and settled on Astrid. She turned her gaze to the floor, as per custom, and tried to remain still underneath his.

"I can see why you'd keep this one around," Dagur said calmly, as if Astrid weren't anything more than a picture on the wall. "Well built, not to bulky, good manners, already subservient. And she's not bad to look at, either."

Hiccup stood up. "Did you need something, Dagur?"

Astrid dared a glance up. Dagur again looked at Hiccup, with a stare that sent shivers down her spine. Deviant. Arrogant. Abrasive. Hiccup kept his shoulders straight, half as wide as Dagur, and nowhere a challenge for him.

"No, not really," Dagur said finally with a shrug. "I was just wandering about, and I thought I'd come see my old pal Hiccup before he gets sucked back into the world of dating." Dagur leaned forward, hand to his mouth, whispering, "Between you and me, that brunette with the coconuts has my vote." He winked.

"I'll keep that in mind," Hiccup said tonelessly. "Didn't you have this problem? I mean, you don't have a little woman of your own? You're a king, after all."

Dagur laughed. "No, my people don't do that 'matrimonial' whatever-it-is anymore. If I want an heir, I'll go make one. Or, when the day comes that I am no longer in my right mind, someone else, stronger, bigger, and better than me will come along and kick me off my throne."

"That's a strange way to look at it," Hiccup said as he squeezed his fists.

"Maybe," Dagur took a step toward the door. "But that's how the world works. Survival of the fittest. The weak get run over so the strongest can live."

Dagur left the hall and the door fell closed behind him. Hiccup stood frozen, his face taut and his arms stiff. Unblinking eyes stared at the door, as if waiting for Dagur to return.

"Hiccup?" Astrid said quietly, in case someone on the other side of the door listened in. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Hiccup said as quiet. "I don't like what he said. I don't like him being here unannounced. He's crazy, but he's clever."

"What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking he's not just here to say hello." Hiccup rolled his shoulders. "Whatever. Dad's got an extra set of eyes on him at all times. He won't be able to do much without someone knowing about it."

Astrid nodded. A rock settled in her stomach.

Hiccup sighed. "I guess that means I've got a girl to see."

"At least try to be happy about it," Astrid reminded. He turned a sorrowful face toward her. She forced a grin and added, "Or at least pretend to."

X

The first date included a meal at one of the nicest restaurants in Berk. It was the Queen's favorite, and Hiccup had little doubt that she had everything to do with it. The entire place was empty, except for him, his date, a sparse staff, Astrid, and a few guards. Astrid stood by the guards as Hiccup mulled over the pointless chitchat with…what was her name? S something…Serena? Som…no, that didn't sound right.

Hiccup smiled when she did, only half-listening. The girl's hands shook over her plate and she barely ate more than tiny bites at a time. Hiccup ate normally, and after a while she took larger bits. Was Astrid right about them? Were they all terrified?

After the meal, they took a walk through the park. She spoke mostly, and he would comment when necessary. It wasn't that she was ugly. She wasn't. By normal standards she was quite attractive. Hiccup couldn't pinpoint anything even mildly repulsive about her. Her smooth voice and calm tone wouldn't be bad to listen to for prolong periods of time.

But she wasn't Astrid.

That was the reoccurring problem, wasn't it? This girl was blonde, blue-eyed, and slender, but it wasn't enough to resemble someone. He held the girl's hand, but no spark ran up his arm and into his brain and set a fire in his stomach. When she looked at him, no butterflies twitched and tickled his chest. When Hiccup kissed her cheek as they departed in the castle foyer, no lightning zapped through his bloodstream.

"That went well," Astrid commented as they made their way back up to his room. He had a small break before his second date of the day.

"It did," Hiccup nodded.

"Are you okay?" Astrid asked, taking a quick step to walk beside him.

"I don't know," Hiccup admitted. He stopped and ducked into a side hall. No one watched. "She was fine, but…she wasn't you."

Astrid blinked several times, swallowed, and a blush filled her cheeks. She tucked loose hairs behind her ear. "Oh. Well, you might have that problem with most of those girls."

"I know," Hiccup said. He reached out for her hand. She mirrored his action and laced her fingers with his. "I still mean it. I'd pick you in a heartbeat."

Astrid bit her lip. "I know you would."

Her eyes softened, and those electrified butterflies in his gut multiplied. He swallowed, words falling out his of mouth in a tangled tumble. "Astrid, I love you."

Her face reddened, and she squeezed his hand. He leaned forward and kissed her, warm lips melding to his.

"What can I do to prove it to you?" he whispered against her.

"Nothing," Astrid said, shaking her head. She kissed him sweetly. "I believe you."

"I want you to say it back to me," Hiccup said.

"I know," Astrid nodded. She bit her lip. "I-I want to be sure before I say that. And…I don't know how to be sure."

Something in his chest squeezed so hard his breath fell out. Astrid shook her head, cheeks flushed. A rustle in the corridor meant that their short moment alone was gone. Hiccup did not release her hand as he pulled her back toward his room, and didn't care who saw and who told. Let them all see which girl he wanted. He wasn't ashamed to say he fell for the servant girl. If they spent a day with Astrid, they'd understand.


	23. Chapter 23

A/N – Sorry for the long wait. Life got in the way, and school, and work, and trying to be a writer. I plan on going indie when I get the final proofreading of my novel done – it's an urban fantasy – and I'll be putting it up on Amazon before too long. The first bump in a series to become a bestseller? Hopefully. Or, in more realistic terms, rent.

Fun news – I had a nosebleed from the time I started writing this chapter to the end. I was getting lightheaded seriously considering going to the hospital, but then it stopped. They say you're supposed to go after ten minutes, and mine was a good thirty, but whatever. Whoo!

Disclaimer – smut incoming. Prepare yourselves.

X

**Chapter 23: All of Me**

Astrid stood to the side, as her duty as the help, watching Hiccup flirt with the familiar female faces. Some of them didn't tried as hard as before. Some wore less heavy black on their lashes. Some wore thin lipstick. Some wore casual dresses. They had forgone the intricate up-dos and let their hair flow or braided it back.

She might have been imagining things, but a silly voice accused the candidates of trying to be more like the maid they despised. At first, the idea was laughable, but after witnessing several dates, Astrid began to believe it. Did Hiccup notice? He wasn't as callus as before. He talked to them, answered them, as if he cared. Of course, she had to remind herself that she had told him to care, to try, or pretend to.

Each date had left a twinge in her stomach. Hiccup held the hand of a brunette, laced his fingers with hers, and walked down the length of the castle's entranceway. Astrid had stayed behind, a few steps, as custom, but a painful cringe tightened in her chest as Hiccup leaned in to kiss the girl, a simple peck on the lips.

"That didn't go bad at all," Astrid commented as she followed Hiccup back to his room for the evening.

"It's gone worse," Hiccup said with a sigh. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and paused, letting her close the space between them. He reached out and tugged on her hand, and laced his fingers with hers.

"Hiccup," Astrid started, but then bit down on her lip. Words failed her.

"Yeah?"

"Never mind." She squeezed his hand.

Hiccup changed into his red pajamas and collapsed into his bed, hair a mess against the pillow. One girl, the blonde girl shorter than her, had run her chubby fingers through it. Astrid had watched those fingers tug on his auburn head, hating them without realizing it. When she did, she had torn her eyes away and focused them on the floor.

"Goodnight," Astrid said as she pulled the curtains on his bed.

"Night," he mumbled, already half-asleep.

Astrid meandered on her way back to her room, her small corner of the giant castle. Things wouldn't work out between her and Hiccup. It would turn into a disaster. She couldn't be anything more than his maid. She had told herself so many times that day, and it felt as though she needed reminding more and more.

Astrid slipped into the servant's corridor, and ignored the looks and mumbles. She went straight to her door and closed it behind her, but caught the wandering glare of their gray-haired neighbor.

"Astrid, that you?" Ingrid called, stepping away from the small wash-basin, hands wet and soapy. "There's a small bit of dinner left if you're hungry."

"No, I ate." Astrid said. She came inside and slipped around the partition and fell into her bed. Her eyes were closed, but she saw the shadow pass. Her mother sat down on the bed across from her.

"Astrid, is everything alright?" Ingrid asked softly. "Your father's not here. You can talk to me and I won't say anything to him. I promise. Woman to woman."

Astrid rolled onto her back and stared up at the plain ceiling. She sighed and sat up. "Mom, how did you know if you loved Dad or not?"

Ingrid blinked several times, mouth agape. "Oh, well, I suppose…" Ingrid's voice trailed away. She found a spot on her hands to stare at. "I don't know, really. We liked each other. He had a good job at the castle and I couldn't pass it by."

"You married him because you had to?"

"Not the words I would have chosen," Ingrid mumbled. "I won't say that I didn't have any other choice. I did. I love your father. He came along at the right time and we worked together, and so it just seemed like the right way to go."

"But how do you know that it's love?" Astrid leaned back against the rough wall.

"Is this about someone else?" Ingrid asked lowly, as if the walls may speak. More like she feared ears pressed against their door.

Astrid looked down. "It might be."

Ingrid didn't speak for a long moment. When she did, her warm voice had gone cold. "The Prince?"

Astrid didn't have the words to confirm that, but she knew her silence would be answer enough for her mother.

"Astrid, that is a terrible idea."

"It's not an idea," Astrid said, a bit loudly. "I just want to know what it's supposed to feel like."

"He's not the kind of man for you," Ingrid said. "He's…he's a scoundrel."

"No he's not." Astrid bit her lip. Her mother's brows came together and words of accusation started on her lounge, but Astrid spoke up, palms extended. "No, Mom, listen to me. I know what you think. He's not a saint, I know. But he's different. When I started this maid thing he was just the jerk I thought he was, but he's changed. He's kind, and caring, and sweet."

"He's kind?"

"You know that cat that's been wandering around?"

"Yes, damn nuisance."

"He found that cat when we were at that cabin, brought it inside because it limped. Fed it from his hand. You'd think he'd turned into a mother cat. It was sweet." Astrid tugged at her hair, threaded a lock through her fingers. She laughed and said, "He talked to it like a baby."

"I find that hard to imagine." Ingrid crossed her arms.

"I know, it sounds ridiculous. But…get him away from all this, the pressure, and Snotlout, and he turns into someone else."

Ingrid inhaled and exhaled slowly, eyes on her daughter, considering. "And you think you love this boy?"

Astrid tugged on her hair, lip between her teeth. "Maybe.

Ingrid said softly, "He will only tear you apart."

"He told me that he loved me," Astrid whispered. Her mother blinked and shook her head as if she didn't understand. Astrid added, "Several times. He said he would pick me if he could. He'd rather be with me than any of them."

"He doesn't mean that," Ingrid said sharply. "You know he's after one thing. Once he gets that, he'll turn away from you faster than you can blink."

"That's what I used to think, but now I'm not sure if he would." Astrid let go of her hair and folded her hands in her lap.

Ingrid reached out and grabbed her by the knee, eyes wide. "What do you mean? Had he…have you…?"

"No, we've not had sex, if that's what you're asking. But we could have, many times." Astrid looked down at the floor, almost ashamed to be admitting this in front of her own mother. "He could've had what he wanted, but he didn't. He said he wouldn't take it unless I wanted him to."

Ingrid leaned back, but kept her hand on Astrid's knee. "I don't like the sound of it. But, you father told me what the Prince did, he hit Snotlout. He said that he looked at you differently."

Astrid wrapped her arms around her middle. "We go on these dates and I want to push the other girls away from him. I want it to just be us again, like back at the cabin."

"Jealousy of those girls will get you nowhere."

"I know. We can't be anything more than what we are now. I'm just the help. He's a prince. He marries a queen, not a maid." Her voice grew small. Astrid curled back into the bed, away from her mother. She'd rather pulled the blankets over her head and pretend she's alone.

"Your father bought me flowers once, before we were married," Ingrid said quietly, barely a whisper. "I'd never gotten flowers before. My father didn't do such things, said they were frivolous and a waste of time and money. I remember watching your father leave that night, holding those flowers as tight as I could, and wanting him to stay. I wanted to go with him, wherever he went."

"Is that how love is supposed to feel?" Astrid asked, eyes on the wall.

"I don't know. Even today, I feel safer when he's here. I sleep better when he's beside me. I used to hate cleaning up the house, but I don't mind his mess." Ingrid sighed. "Is that how that prince makes you feel?"

"Kind of." Astrid squeezed the blanket. "I don't mind doing things for him, fetching him what he wants. He doesn't ask for too many things anymore. If he gets food, he lets me have some, too. He said he doesn't like to eat if I'm not eating. I-I look forward to seeing him in the morning, and walking back here feels…I don't know, lonely."

Astrid rolled over. Ingrid rested a hand on her chin, and her eyes settled somewhere above the bed. After a while she sighed and stood up. "I don't know what to tell you, girl. I think that boy is trouble. Always has been, probably always will. But if want to chase him, I won't stop you. I couldn't even if I wanted to." Ingrid walked back to the kitchen, and Astrid heard the soft plop of something falling into the soapy water. "All I can do is wait, and make you a warm dinner when he breaks your heart."

X

Astrid forced herself to walk slower, sure that her intentions came from madness. She followed the same route as every morning prior to Hiccup's room. It felt shorter. She paused at the door, hands gripped in her skirt, collecting her final thoughts. Madness, completely.

The curtains to his bed had already been thrown opened, and water spouted from the lit bathroom.

"Good morning." Hiccup appeared from the bathroom doorway, toothbrush slurring his words. His pajama shirt was missing, but he still wore the bottoms.

"Good morning," Astrid said, breathless.

In an instant, his brow furled and his brushing paused. He removed the brush and pointed at her with it. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing at all," Astrid quickly answered, too quickly to remove his skepticism. He vanished into the bathroom, spat, and appeared against with a fresh mouth. Astrid shook her eyes from his wet lips. "I walked faster this morning."

"Why?" Hiccup crossed the room, each step tentative. "Is everything okay?"

Astrid inhaled, forced her gaze at him, but couldn't make the words jump out of her throat. They jumbled there, somewhere between the word-maker and her mouth, an impassable lump. Hiccup stopped in front of her, smelling like mint and sleep.

"Are you sure?" he asked. His warm breath touched her cheek. A water-chilled handed grazed her arm.

"Hiccup," Astrid started, fumbling haplessly with those words.

"Did something happen?" he asked, leaning in closer. He leaned away, eyes elsewhere. "Did someone say something to you? Who was it?"

"Hiccup, no," Astrid tried, but he stormed.

"I'll make them pay for it," Hiccup said, anger fueling a fire behind his eyes. "Was it Snotlout? I thought those threats of his were empty, I should have walked you home, I'm sorry. I'll beat him to a pulp."

He started toward the door, hands curled into firsts, and she reached to grab him. Her nails racked across his freckled shoulder. She latched on, pulled him backward, and crashed into his back. She fastened her arms around his chest, and pressed her cheek against his spine.

"I love you," she pleaded, holding on.

His heart thumped underneath her cheek, a smooth, steady rhythm, loud against her ears. In and out came his breaths. For a terrifying moment, she feared the worst. Hiccup wiggled in her grip, turning around to face her, but she wouldn't look at him. His arms came around her shoulders, hugging her close. His hot breath met her scalp, and a gasp leaked into her hair.

"I love you," she repeated to his beating heart.

"Astrid," he breathed. His lips met her temple in a swift, tender kiss. "I love you, too."

He kissed her cheek again, and again, each time leaning closer to her jaw. Astrid lifted her chin with each kiss, and welcomed his kiss with her own. Sweet, stringent clean licked her lips, and she moved her head with his, accepting the poke of his warm tongue, and fought back with her own. She tangled a hand in his hair, fingering it like she'd wanted to, like she'd hated that girl for doing.

His fingers toyed with the strings of her dress, and she let him. He wiggled it loose from her shoulders, and trailed hot kisses down her neck, over her collarbone, and to the edge of the material. He gently pulled, following the retreating dress with purposeful kisses. Astrid inhaled, anticipating his touch as he exposed her chest, biting her lip as his slow kissed came closer. Heat urged in her stomach, pushing southward between her legs.

He kissed her breast tenderly, massaging her excitement, as his hands worked the dress from her waist, to her hips, and to the floor at her feet. His tongue teased her, pulling the hard nub behind his teeth. She gasped at the sensation of his teeth, the texture of his tongue, and gripped his hair. His fingers worked their way into her underwear, and skillfully pulled them down her legs. His hands cupped her backside, squeezing it.

"Hiccup," Astrid panted.

He stood up, making his way back up her chest, her neck, to her lips. Against her lips he whispered, "I won't make you do anything you don't want to."

His green eyes burned into hers, and the rest of her doubts evaporated. "Take me. All of me."

The pleasure dripped from his mouth in a gasp, and swelled his eyes with desire. His arms reached around her, lifting her, and he carried her the short distance to the bed. The soft sheets welcomed her skin, hugging her in royal luxury. Hiccup kissed her, as his hands worked his pajama bottoms free of his hips. He separated from her just long enough to pull them off his legs, toss them to the floor, and pull the bed curtains closed.

He returned to her, molding his limbs into hers. His narrow hips fit between hers, his erection nestled between them. His kisses hastened, his hands roamed and squeezed, his breath grew ragged.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked, breath hot against her neck.

"Yes," Astrid assured him, hands on his shoulder. She widened her legs, and rubbed her thigh against his hip. "I'm yours."

The breath that tumbled from his lips held her name, whispered it in such a way that made her skin prickle. He adjusted himself, hips poised over hers, hand on her thigh. His eyes took her in, all of her. She felt him at her entrance, hard and warm, and every muscle in her body cried for him. She wanted him. He leaned into her, stretching her untouched wet walls.

Astrid gasped, and he paused.

"You okay?" he gasped.

She nodded, hands clutching the sheets underneath her. He pushed until he was completely inside of her, hips flush. She wouldn't say she'd been ready for the sensation that she'd so dearly craved. He filled a void she'd never felt until that moment, with a fullness she couldn't explain. He withdrew, the pain stinging with his movement, but she didn't care. He thrust again, and again, each time faster, each time lessening the pain.

Astrid wrapped her arms around his neck, toyed with his hair, and felt the sweat on his chest. She felt the pleasure, deep inside, more feverish that ever before. Each thrust stroked it, and brought it closer. Hiccup panted in her ear, gasping her name, breath hot on her cheek. He staggered, and with a burst of speed he groaned, and pulled himself out of her.

She watched his seed spill onto her abdomen, warm and white. Hiccup crouched over her, panting his breath to normal.

He kissed her cheek, then her lips. "Mine."

"Yours."

He smiled, and kissed her again. "That makes me yours, too."

"Mine." She smiled back at him, the ghost of him still stinging.

He collapsed next to her, not minding his own mess. His hand found hers, and laced their fingers. She rested her forehead on his jaw, knowing that they would have to move, but that would be later. Everything, later.


	24. Chapter 24

A/N – I'm sorry about the long wait. I was pumped to push updates this week of all my stories, because it's spring break and I don't work. BUT THEN my beta reader got back to be early, on Tuesday, I've spent every day since then working on the last draft of my novel. Talk about brain dead – my brain was jelly yesterday, go-to-bed-at-nine kind of jelly. It's still kind of jelly.

I don't say this enough – but you are all amazing. Thanks for reading, for commenting, for following. It's always a tremendous boost when someone comments. Thanks!

X

**Chapter 24: Now**

Astrid closed her eyes, listening to the sound of Hiccup's heart, the gentle thump-thump against her cheek. His stubble brushed against her forehead with each warm breath against her temple. He held her close, wrapped in the blanket with him, skin against skin, legs tangled with hers. When she opened her eyes, she saw through the gap in his bed curtain, where the morning sunlight glittered on his wall.

Was that it? That's what everyone's been talking about? She didn't know what exactly she expected sex to be like, but not that. From the grandeur, she expected something more, something…grand. Something worthy of the hype. It had been okay, she supposed. Hiccup had enjoyed it; his unintelligible moans of pleasure told her so. His enjoyment had leaked into her, and she had vicariously enjoyed his enjoyment, in a sense.

Hiccup shifted, his hand sliding along her midsection, and kissed her temple. His lips hesitated against her, hot breath warming her skin as he said, "I still need to bathe. Would you like to join me?"

"I would," she answered. Of course, that meant leaving their temporary sanctum of blankets and curtains.

Hiccup maneuvered out from underneath her, and when she shifted with him, he pulled her back down the to bed, covering her lips with his. She wrapped her arms around him. If he wanted to stay in bed, she wouldn't tell him otherwise. He was the Prince, after all. The Queen, on the other hand, wouldn't be so understanding.

"What about your bath?"

"One thing first." He kissed her again, and started a trail of warm lips down her chin, her neck, and nibbled on her collar. He kissed his way down her chest, pushing the blanket with him as he went, exposing her breasts to the air. He teased her nipples back to hardness with his tongue, sending lightning bolts along her nerves. His hands joined him, each wave ushering a moan from her throat.

Astrid squirmed, arching into his touch, gripping the sheets. Hiccup's hand left her chest, drew a line down her abdomen, and wandered only a moment in the slick before he found the sensitive nub. He shifted, dark eyes between her thighs, one hand touching her, the other holding onto her hips. He kissed her knee, and with each consecutive kiss, brought his lips closer to his hand, and replaced it with his mouth, nudging the nub with his tongue, pulling it between his teeth.

She cried out at the sudden touch, the fiery pleasure he created, curling her toes into the sheets. He held her down with one hand, held her squirming hips in place, while his other slipped inside of her, where the walls still ached from him, but it didn't hurt. He knew how to touch her and where. It didn't take long until she writhed in his touch, shaking, panting, nearly blinded by the quickly rising edge.

_This_. This is what made sex great; she understood. She _knew_. She knew then why Hiccup craved it, why people fell into beds, and knew that she would want more, more, more, until she collapsed.

Her body exploded, and she welcomed the hot pleasure as it flooded over her, draining her muscles and flattening against the sheets. Hiccup crawled back up, hair a mess, with a satisfied grin on his face. He kissed her cheek, a slickness against his lips.

"How was that?"

Her answer came as an exhausted moan, "Amazing."

He smiled, and kissed her again. He chuckled, that nervous laugh that came with his uncertainty. "You know, that's the, uh, first time I've done that."

Astrid snapped her head to face him. The disbelief must have shone clear on her face, because he shot his hand up between them, palm open.

"The first time with my mouth," he said quickly. "I've never wanted to before. It used to gross me out." He laughed, eyes darting to the bed. He leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. "I wanted to taste you."

"That's really the first time you've…" Astrid motioned to herself.

"I've used my hands before," Hiccup said. He shrugged, sitting up. "It's weird, but I didn't think about it until I met you. All those other girls, I didn't know where they'd been, or who else had been down there. I didn't want my mouth where some other guy had been."

She sat up, sliding her hand around his middle. "I'm glad I was your first something. I thought you knew how to do it all."

He laughed, and hugged her, pushing them both back into the sheets.

She ran a hand through his sweaty hair. "Shall I run your bath?"

"Ours."

"Ours," she corrected.

Hiccup pushed himself onto all fours, and them to the side of the bed. He pushed the curtains to the side as Astrid wiggled her bare limbs loose from the tangled sheets. She looked back on the mess they'd made. Those sheets would have to be changed that day.

"What?" Hiccup asked, green eyes sparking in the sunlight.

"I didn't know sex was so messy."

Hiccup laughed. "Good sex is messy."

"Bad sex isn't?"

"Not really. The more the mess, the more you enjoyed it. If there's not much mess, that means someone wasn't having much fun." He shrugged. Then his eyes darted back to the floor. "How was it? The first part."

She stuttered, and it gave her away. Hiccup's entire posture slumped. She quickly added, "It hurt, a little. Other than that, good."

"That goes away." He leaned back. "Of course, I've been told this. I don't actually know. I'm never been the girl. But, it'll feel good there, too. You get used to it, I guess."

"With practice?" She hadn't meant to sound so sultry, but the effect of those two words on Hiccup made the difference. His eyes brightened, his grin widened, all with the princely mischievousness that she knew.

Astrid scooted off the bed, and reluctantly stood, aware of the lingering discomfort between her legs. She stepped into the streaming sunlight, and instant warmth glowed along her skin. She relished the feeling, like being wrapped in blanket that had been warmed by the fire. Hiccup shifted, and she glanced over her shoulder. He sat on the edge of the bed, a wondrous look on his face.

"What?" Astrid asked.

"Nothing," Hiccup said, shaking his head.

"Then why are you staring?"

He smiled that sweet, bashful smile that melted her. "Because you're absolutely beautiful."

The blush ambushed her, flooding into her face. She bit her lip; she'd never received such a genuine compliment. Nothing else in the room matter, nothing in the world, when he looked at her like that. She wanted to stay like this, with him, forever, but knew she couldn't. She turned from him, and went into the spacious bathroom. The water tumbled from the faucet, drowning out his footsteps, and when it was warm to the touch, she pushed in the plug. Hiccup place a hand on her back, and stepped around her, into the tub. He held his hand out, and helped her over the step like a gentleman into a carriage.

The nestled together in the rising water, with his arm around her shoulders. When the water reached its peak, she left his embrace and turned it off.

"Hiccup, what does this mean?" Her voice sounded too loud without the water.

"What does what mean?"

"This," Astrid said. She motioned to them. "Does it change anything?"

"I don't know," he answered, hand squeezing her shoulder. "I love you, that's not going to change anytime soon. Probably never."

"Me either," she said.

He sighed, and pulled her closer. "We'll…just take it as it comes. How does that sound? Unless you're game to run away today and never look back. I don't know where we'd go, I'd need to plan ahead before we do that."

She smiled. As glamourous as that sounded, "Let's not resort to that."

"Not yet."

"Not yet," Astrid repeated. She snuggled in closer to him.

Hiccup and Astrid arrived late to brunch, much to the obvious displeasure of the Queen. The girls had eaten slowly, nibbling on the food that had cooled, waiting on their prized Prince Hiccup to show. When he did, with nursemaid in tow, Astrid met their glares. Each pair of accusing eyes rested on her for a moment, brows coming together, suspecting the reason for their tardiness.

Astrid's stomach twinge. This time, the suspicions were right, and from the stares, everyone knew. Astrid met Heather's eye, the unreadable calculating green orbs, and felt a shiver. Whereas the rest of the girls held malicious, jealous stares, Heather didn't outright seem to. Astrid followed Hiccup to the table, and took her place behind him, hands folded in front of her, eyes on the ground.

Through the meandering chitchat, she felt the eyes on her. Needling her for stealing Hiccups attention from them, from their prize. She kept her eyes on her hands as they talked, about this and that, of dates here and dates there. The girls did most of the talking. Hiccup commented here and there.

"These eggs are cold," Hiccup said halfway through his plate.

"They would have been warm if you had been on time." The Queen tapped her painted nails on the table.

Astrid didn't look up. She knew the Queen stared. She felt the hatred.

Brunch ended, and Astrid followed Hiccup to his waiting date in the foyer. This morning's date included a simple tour of Berk's top brewery, a tasting of mead and beer, and a carriage ride through the kingdom. Astrid kept her mouth shut unless Hiccup prompted her for a comment or answer, to which the girl would stare, all hatred contained in two eyes. Unfortunately, Hiccup brought Astrid into each conversation, rejecting her the option of silence.

The afternoon date passed the same, as a strange date between Hiccup, the girl, and Astrid. Hiccup seemed undisturbed by it all, but Astrid felt shaken. As they entered his room for the night, she collapsed on his bed.

"What's wrong?" Hiccup said at once.

"The girls hate me."

"That's a strong word."

And it spilled, everything. Hiccup listened while she told him about the glares, the stares, and the whispered. She told him how Heather had accused her, what the girls thought of her, what the kingdom thought of her.

"I thought I told you not to read those stupid magazine?" Hiccup said, arms crossed. "They're junk."

"I haven't," Astrid said. "I don't have to."

He sighed. He sat beside her. "I know, they're bitches, they glare. It's a type."

"Is that how it's going to be?" Astrid asked, the fear of the future playing always in the back of her mind.

Hiccup didn't say anything for a while, and when he did, he changed the subject. "I think we're going to some play tomorrow. I'm not sure. I only hear rumors. I might be totally wrong. Honestly, I'm hoping for outside. It's been so nice. And Toothless would enjoy a park."

They sat together until the sunset, and then parted with a sweet goodnight kiss. Hiccup pulled on her hand, toward him, sleepy eyes asking for more.

"Not tonight," Astrid said to his lips.

He kissed her. "Okay."

Astrid made the trip back to her small home with her mind on Hiccup, on the girls. They've thought her his whore from the start. She'd fallen into his bed, so what did that make their thoughts? They were no long accusations. Did it change anything? Hiccup didn't care, but Astrid cared. She didn't want to be his whore, not in tabloids, not in thoughts, not anywhere.

Her parents didn't speak more than a simple greeting, and Astrid returned to her lumpy bed. She pulled the blanket over her, and then shot up. She'd forgotten about his sheets. She hadn't a chance to change them. She couldn't ask anyone else to do it, or they would know, and then everyone would know.

Ingrid leaned around the corner, eyes on Astrid.

"Something wrong, dear?"

"No," Astrid said, and pulled the blanket around her again, flopping back onto the bed.

Ingrid footsteps crossed home, and she heard one of the kitchen chairs scoot across the floor. Alistair said something too low to hear, and Ingrid responded. She had told him, no doubt, what Astrid had said earlier. They knew.

Astrid pushed herself out of bed that morning, and declined her mother's breakfast.

"Oh, I see. All that royal food is spoiling your appetite." Ingrid smiled, tried to laugh, but her humor didn't reach her eyes.

"It is," Astrid agreed. Hiccup would let her eat off his plate, and the prospect of eggs, buttery toast, and warm sausage killed what near-starved longing she had for the brown goop in the stewpot.

She stopped by the kitchens first, and picked up a coffee tray, and held it in front of her as she made her way to Hiccup's room. Each servant she passed looked up, even if out of the corner of their eyes, as if they, too, knew for certain what happened behind Hiccup's bedroom door. Astrid kept her eyes ahead. Had their stares changed, or had she?

After coffee, lazy sex, and a bath, Astrid accompanied Hiccup down to the brunch were they listened to the girls' chatter, and then followed him down the foyer. Along the way he stole several kisses, some in bold sight of others, some in hushed corners. They interlude had replaced the warm feeling that had since deflated, and she smiled against his lips.

They entered the foyer, and Astrid's heart flip-flopped. Standing by the door among the guard and Queen, was Heather.


	25. Chapter 25

A/N – I am published. I have self-published my novel on Amazon. It's up right now, and I would be eternally grateful you all would go check it out. It's called "Devil's Blood" by B.B. Morgan. No, that's not my real name. It's a pen name. If you want to do me a huge, colossal, massive favor, buy it, and then rate it and give it a review. It's hard to break into the publishing business with the massive amount of competition, and every little bit helps. Word-of-mouth is still the best kind of advertising, and 100% free.

And, sorry about the long wait between updates. It's been a bit hectic. I'm not as busy right now, and I'm trying to roll them out while I've got the extra time. Whoo!

X

**Chapter 25: She and I**

Hiccup sat across from Astrid with his hand around Heather's, and his arm around her shoulders. She'd dressed it down today, like the girls before her. She'd twisted her dark hair around one shoulder, like Astrid wore it most days. She looked nice, but Hiccup had a hard time keeping his eyes on Heather when Astrid sat so close.

"I'm excited for today," Heather said, another attempt at a semi-pleasant conversation.

"Me too," Hiccup answered, as enthused as he could. He was having a hard time focusing; Astrid flooded his thoughts.

He'd never been with a girl like her. He'd never been with anyone like he'd been with her. The sex had felt different from the beginning. She didn't put on or make it a show. She acted on what she felt, and the small sounds she'd made had turned him on unlike anything he'd heard or seen. What kind of magic did she hold over him? Whatever it be, he never wanted her to stop.

"Hiccup, are you listening to me?" Heather asked, brows casual, eyes straining to remain calm.

"Yes, yes, of course, please continue," Hiccup said with a smile, hoping she wouldn't ask him to repeat something she'd said.

"What did I say?"

"Oh, don't do that," Hiccup said at once. "My mother does that."

Heather's frown fell deeper, and Hiccup saw Astrid's smile flicker. She bit her lower lip, and forced her lips straight.

"I'm sorry," Heather said, disbelief stiff on her tone. "It's not that important, anyway. Just something to fill the conversation on the way."

Heather looked out of the carriage window, and Hiccup winked at Astrid. Heather turned around before Astrid could respond, and Hiccup smiled. Heather didn't look happy at all. If he pissed her off enough, she'd go away on her own, right?

The carriage drove on through the cloudy day, wheels racketing on rickety stone streets. People stood on the sidewalk to watch the royal carriage pass, cameras ready, hands waving, eyes wide like they might see something spectacular. He understood why they'd always kept the windows closed.

Astrid adjusted her legs and Hiccup let his eyes wander. She was as beautiful underneath the dress, for sure. Nothing but a few freckles dotted her creamy skin. Every part of her was taut to the touch, and touch he did. He'd made sure to map out her body, memorize every inch of it. Thinking about her naked sent a particular chill down his spine that settled into his groin, and he forced those thoughts aside. _That_ was not something he wanted to deal with right now. After this date, he'd let Astrid take care of it.

The carriage pulled up to their destination, a Berkian museum. Hiccup had been to places on these dates he hadn't known existed, but his sense of surprise had left him halfway through the first round of dates. No one had prepared him for that part. Heather latched onto his arm as they floated inside, to the many cries and waves of the crowd behind a rope that the royal guard stood by, shoulder to shoulder. Astrid paced behind, like always, with her hands folded together in front of her, eyes pointed down.

He heard the words on the breeze, humming through the crowd, and he knew Astrid heard them, too.

"That's the girl, isn't it? The castle maid?"

"Ooh, that's the one he's sleeping with, look! Do you think the lady knows?"

"Of course she does, any woman would know if her man slept with someone else."

"Are you kidding, I'd bone her too."

"She'll get knocked up and they'll toss her out. Then she's fair game."

"She's that whore from the castle, I read all about her. The Prince picked her out, he did."

The doors shut, muting the crowd.

"Hiccup," Heather hissed, and wrenched her hands from his grip. She rubbed her fingers and stretched them out.

"Sorry," he mumbled. He hadn't realized how tight he'd held it.

Astrid stood just inside the doors, eyes glued to the floor, face a forced, emotionless mask. Hiccup stared at her a moment longer, willing her to look at him, to show him her eyes, to show him what she really felt.

"Let's get started," Heather said, tugging his arm along behind her. "This place is huge and I don't want to miss anything."

Hiccup didn't care much for the museum. He walked with Heather as she dragged him around from display to display, in a rushed panic to see as much as possible, as quick as possible. The floor zigzagged around displays, some small as a stone, others as large as his bedroom. They had passed a clock, but she'd pulled him to fast to check the time. She yanked him into a large display with walls on three sides, blocking anyone's view.

"You know, it's not like you can't come back," Hiccup said, tired of the speed walking. Heather listened at the display's only exit, and Hiccup felt his gut twitch. Was she trying to get him alone again? Hiccup would hold firm; he wouldn't have sex with her. Heather turned around, and he prepared to tell her so, but she interrupted with a finger poking his shoulder.

"Look, Hiccup, I don't care about you and your maid. I don't care how you feel about her. She isn't Queen material. I am."

"What?" Hiccup didn't have time to speak, Heather interrupted again.

"The Queen oversees the Women's Association. She makes the final decisions on grants, funding, and operations for the King's Foundation. She must be aware of current news, politics, and ideas. She officiates meetings. She is the prime dignitary. She is an example of grace, etiquette, and manners. She keeps this kingdom running smooth." Heather counted these things off on her fingers, then quit, and pointed in out of the display at no one. "Can your maid do any of those things? Does she have the connections to handle the high society nitwits? The manners? The reputation? No. I do. I already know the names of each one of them, their personality, their family history, and can deal with them. I have been dealing with them since I was born. I know the Queen's responsibilities inside and out."

"That's nice?" Hiccup said. He took a step away from Heather, away from her accusations and demands.

"Do you think she could be Queen?" Heather asked plainly. She crossed her arms over her chest. "Answer me honestly. Do you think your maid could be Queen?"

Hiccup held his answer in; he hadn't given it as much thought as Heather. He didn't know what his mother did during the day besides pester him.

"Exactly." Heather said with a nod.

"It doesn't matter-"

"You're right, it doesn't matter. Listen to me, Berk already thinks lowly of her. But I don't care. If I'm Queen, you can sleep with her every night if you want. I don't care if she has your children. Hell, I might join you. But I am Queen material. She's not. Marry me for show, keep her for your fun."

Heavy footsteps. A guard came around the corner of the display, slightly out of breath. "Thank Odin, there you two are."

"Sorry to worry you," Heather chimed, as sweet as she could be.

Hiccup had the urge to punch her, but held his fists at his sides. That wouldn't look good at all. Heather started for another display, and Hiccup let her take several steps ahead of him before he followed. Astrid stood a few steps behind the guard, looking as though she'd been thinking about something horrible. She caught Hiccup's gaze and tried to give him a smile, but the pitiful state of it ripped through his chest.

_Marry me, keep her. _

Hiccup let Heather pull him around the museum until their time expired. The guard led the way back through the maze to the doors. The guards assembled on the other side, blocking the crowd, and Heather and Hiccup walked out together with Astrid behind.

"Do you think he nailed them both while he was in there?"

"Her hair looks ruffled."

"She looks terrible, I bet he raped her. I wouldn't put it past him."

"Me neither, the scoundrel."

The carriage doors slammed shut, but he could still hear them.

"Shut the windows," Hiccup said.

Astrid moved, and pulled the windows shut on both sides, her delicate, well-worked fingers pulling the strings. They shook, but he said nothing. Astrid returned her hands to her lap, and folded them together. She kept her eyes on the carriage's floor. Heather talked on the way back, about this and that, and Hiccup gladly leaped out of the carriage when they stopped at the castle's gates.

"I will see you," Heather said. She reached out to straighten a wrinkle in Hiccup's shirt, and patted his chest.

Hiccup said nothing. He didn't want to see Heather right now, or any of the queen-wannabes. Heather wandered off in the direction of the lounge the girls had claimed for gossip, and Hiccup turned to Astrid.

"Hey," Hiccup said, motioning her closer. She closed the few steps between them. "Come on. You look like you could use a nap."

She didn't argue. He slipped his arm around her shoulders and started the walk back to his room.

"You alright?" Hiccup asked.

"Yes, I'm just tired."

She looked more than tired, but he held his tongue. He didn't want to argue about it. Once behind his door, his thoughts drifted to her again, what lay beneath the dress. Astrid sat on the edge of his bed, looking small with her shoulders slumped. Hiccup took long steps to get to her, and pulled her back onto the bed with him. He snaked his arms around her and nuzzled his nose into her neck.

Her arm draped his shoulder and he took it as the go-signal. What else could that mean? He wiggled his way above her, kissing her neck, her cheek, her lips, and nudged his legs between hers and pushed her skirt out of the way.

"Hiccup," she said, but he covered her mouth with a kiss.

He had his hand on her bare thigh, and tugged on her underwear. She squirmed as he tugged, to help him, he assumed. It was hard enough to wiggle a girl out of her underwear while she wore them, let alone while she lied down. He used his other to pull them off entirely. Her hands met his shoulders. With a swift motion, he undid his belt, unbuttoned his pants, and held himself at her entrance; he plunged.

Hiccup hugged himself to her, cheek to cheek, thrusting his way to ecstasy. Astrid's small breaths echoed in his ear, gasps, fractured sobs, and then tears. The warm drops hit his cheek. He felt it; he couldn't stop this close. He held her closer as he came. Hiccup pushed himself onto his knees, catching his spill in his hand.

Astrid covered her face with her hands, but the shiny tears leaked out from underneath her palms. She bit her lip, sucks her sobs in but couldn't contain them. Hiccup sat there, come in hand, unsure of what do to. Had he been that bad? She hadn't been as wet as before, hardly at all. Hiccup looked down at his hand, and guilt surged upward like vomit.

X

Astrid pushed her wet face into the pillow, burying her hideous sobs in the silk. Whore. Whore. Whore.

"Astrid?"

"I'm sorry," was all she gasped between sobs.

"I-I'll be right back," Hiccup said, and she felt his weight leave the bed, heard his footsteps on the floor. Water ran in the bathroom.

Astrid rolled onto her stomach; face submerged. She looked awful when she cried, puffy and pink. She didn't want him to see it. She didn't want to see him. She hadn't wanted to, but he had. She'd tried to tell him, but he covered her mouth with his. Was it her place to deny him? She'd already given herself to him, what was once more? He wanted to, he was the prince, the final say.

This is what she hadn't wanted. To feel obligated to pleasure him, like it was her duty, like a whore that everyone thought she was. Whore.

Hiccup returned to the bed, and sat down on the edge. He said nothing at first. His shoes hit the floor, one and then the other, and then he climbed onto the bed and laid beside her. A hand touched her lower back. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"They're right about me."

"Who's right?"

"Everyone."

Hiccup's hand snaked up her back. He pushed stray hair away from her neck. "What are you talking about?"

Was he that oblivious? Did he hear it and ignore it? Astrid coughed out a sob. "I don't want to be a whore."

"You're not," Hiccup said immediately.

Whore. Concubine. Bed-warmer. "Did you not hear them? That's what they think I am. That's what everyone thinks, my parents, the castle, the kingdom."

"It doesn't matter what they think, Astrid."

"Of course it doesn't matter for you," Astrid said, turning her head just enough to see him out of her puffy, tear-streaked eye. "You're the Prince, they're stuck with you. I'm a disposable bitch."

Hiccup's worried face turned sour. "Did someone call you that?"

A sob shook her throat, and she tightened her fists in the sheets. Hiccup's hand touched her shoulder, giving her a gentle pull.

"Astrid, who said that?"

She gave in to his hand, and turned to face him, head against the wet spot where her tears had soaked in. His hand met her cheek and his warm thumb wiped away another tear as it escaped.

"Who said it? Was it Spitelout? Snotlout? A stupid magazine?"

She squeezed her eyes shut. "No. I heard it from the servants."

His frown faltered as his anger waved, confused.

"I've heard them say I'm just another disposable bitch. You'll get tired of me and toss me out, or I'll get pregnant and you'll toss me out. I-I can't make it out there, Hiccup. I see the way people look at me, like meat dangling on a string above a bear cage."

"Astrid, I love you," Hiccup said, eyes focused on hers. "You know that. I couldn't get rid of you if I tried."

"What about when I'm fifty and fat and wrinkled?"

"I will love you even more." Hiccup leaned forward and kissed her cheek.

"What if…what if something does happen?" Astrid halted on the word. "What if I do get pregnant?"

"Then we'll figure something out." Hiccup hugged her closer. "You're not going anywhere, Astrid. No matter what. I love you, and I want to be with you, forever if possible. I want you to sleep in here with me, so I can wake up and see you every morning and hold you until I fall asleep. I love you, all of you, not just your looks."

"I love you, too," Astrid said, fingering the hair that draped onto his neck. She snaked her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, cheek to cheek. "I'm sorry. I didn't meant to fall apart."

"It's okay. But tell me what happened."

"I didn't want to." Her voice sounded weak against his neck. Her knee twitched against him.

Hiccup pushed himself up to an elbow, and touched her cheek. "Why didn't you say something?"

"I tried."

He shook his head, mouth gaped, confusion bubbling. He stumbled through the words, "Did I rape you?"

Did he? No, she didn't think so. She let him. She gave in. It wasn't the sex that she minded, but his timing. She'd been a mess on the inside, and he had only made it worse. Astrid smiled up at his worried stare, and shook her head. "No."

"But, you didn't want to."

"I didn't stop you."

"You tried." Hiccup sat up, back onto his knees. He rubbed his face with his hands. "You tried to stop me, and I didn't listen. That's the rape formula. Gods, Astrid, I-I…why didn't you hit me or something? Kick?"

"Hiccup." Astrid leaned up onto her elbows. "You didn't rape me."

"You sure?"

She nodded, but her eyes dipped down to his groin. She held his attention. Talk time. "Just…don't treat me like it's my duty to have sex with you when you want it, or that it's your right to take it. It's not. I'm not your whore."

"Of course not," Hiccup said. He held out his hand to her, and helped her into a sitting position. He stammered, "You're a friend, a lover, a girlfriend."

"If I'm your girlfriend, you need to treat me like it."

He pulled her hand to his lips. "Of course, Milady."

She blushed, blinked, and a small smile erupted on her lips. Hiccup pulled her hand closer to him, and she followed his tug into his arms.

"Breakfast in bed tomorrow morning," Hiccup said, lips to her temples. "Flowers, chocolate, foot massages, and all the oral sex you can take."

"Hiccup," Astrid tried to speak, but she laughed, cheeks bright red. "Stop it."

"What's your favorite flower?"

She laughed the whole-hearted laugh, only damped by her recent breakdown. "Surprise me."

"I can do that." Hiccup hugged her, and they both collapsed back onto the bed. He kissed her neck, then her cheek. "You know, I'm feeling lunch in bed today. I don't feel like people. Mom'll get over it."

"What would you like?" Astrid asked. She didn't feel like a trip to the kitchens, but it didn't matter.

"Don't worry about it," Hiccup said. He scooted off the bed. "I'll find someone else to get it. You rest, curl up, feel free to strip down if you'd like. Silk feels great on skin."

Astrid smiled and leaned back; Hiccup reached for the door and hadn't gone far before his voice drifted back down the hallway. He'd found someone, and passed on the command. Hiccup returned to the bed, and reached for one of Astrid's feet. He wiggled her feet free, and dropped her shoes onto the floor. Starting at her ankle, he kissed his way up her leg, and by the time he reached her mid-thigh, Astrid felt the warm excitement building.

His lips met her sensitive skin; his tongue struck her core. She shivered as he started, working the tension and pleasure, holding onto her hips. She squirmed in his touch, and arched as it rose impossibly high. She came, fists tight in the sheets, and Hiccup kissed his way back to her knee. He grinned at her, lips shiny.

Hiccup washed his face in the sink while she cleaned herself up; a knock came to the door and Hiccup scooted out of the room, towel around his neck. Astrid lingered in the bathroom. She didn't want to be seen in a state in Hiccup's room. Rumors flew wild as it was.

"Oh?" Hiccup asked. She knew the tone. Self-assured. Untouchable. "Such a pleasant surprise to get a hand-delivered meal from the top chef."

Astrid peeked out. A white-clad man stood on the doorway, silver tray in his hands. He didn't look happy, and his pompous nose-in-the-air ill-humor could match Spitelout on any day.

"I came to tell you that unless you want cat stew, keep that rat of yours out of my kitchen!" The cook handed him the tray, and scuttled back down the corridor. He shouted from the hallway, and something small and black slid into the room between Hiccup's feet. Two wide, green eyes blinked at Hiccup.

"Toothless? What have you been doing?" Hiccup half-laughed. "I guess I know. Tormenting my tormentors. Good boy."

Toothless jumped onto the bed, tail swaying behind him, and slumped into a black mound on the bed's foot. It had become common gossip that the cat Prince Hiccup had brought back had been terrorizing the kitchens since his arrival, and was about to drive the cooks and servants mad. Hiccup sat the tray down on the bed, and Astrid joined him. Toothless snoozed on the edge as they ate, tail flipping between dreams.


	26. Chapter 26

**A/N – **Sorry about the long update. Repeated news: I published my novel. More information is available on my profile. I'm sorry if it feels like I'm pushing it on you guys, but marketing is ridiculously hard and a complete crapshoot. Word of mouth is the best by far.

Disclaimer – smut. If you don't like it, skip down to the second part.

**Chapter 26: Spilled Sugar**

Astrid woke up with the sun shining into the room. The curtains on the bed were open; Hiccup sat at his desk, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand, foot resting against the window sill. His eyes stared out of the window, intense and unfocused. He wore his pajamas, the red ones, and had left the buttons of his shirt undone. The fine hair pointed down his torso and vanished into his bottoms.

He was in thought; she knew that face. What about?

He had been in a strange mood since his date with Heather. Astrid had accompanied him to dinner and back to his room, where he stripped her slowly, tracing his fingertips along her skin, and made love to her while a rainstorm pounded against the castle. It had been disgustingly romantic; lightning had lit up the room, thunder had shaken the stone, and the all-around energy in the air had turned something inside of them both on fire.

The rain had let up, and Astrid accepted his invitation to sleep in his room. Neither of them had dressed. He had held her close as she fell asleep in his arms, surrounded by his soft silk sheets, his heart beating against hers. Again, disgustingly romantic. The night had taken her anxiety, any that had been left after their passionate lovemaking. Astrid remained where she'd woken to stare at Hiccup a little longer. Who'd have thought that she would be here, willingly in his bed, in love with him?

Hiccup's stare didn't alleviate from whatever he saw through the window. She doubted he saw anything. His thoughts clouded his eyes. Astrid shifted and rolled onto her back, gaining his attention. At once his face softened.

"Hey," she said, eyes on her prince. _Her prince_. "Good morning."

A warm smile spread across his face. The worry in his eyes lingered and kept that smile from his eyes.

"Good morning," he said. He brought the cup to his lips, and cringed.

"Bad coffee?"

"Cold." Hiccup sat the cup down on the silver tray.

Astrid sat up and folded her arms over her knees. She held the blanket to her chest, but let her hair fall down her bare back. Hiccup's eyes wandered, and she felt the sharpest urge in her stomach. Her own stare wandered down his taut middle, the fine hair below his belly, and the points of his hips that fit between hers. She wanted him; she wanted more of the night before, the passion, the desire for each other, the love that had made her entire body shake in his hands.

Hiccup stood and slipped the pajama shirt off his shoulders. He draped it over the back of his desk chair. He took leisurely steps toward the bed, each one bringing him closer, and pushing on her stomach, heating her desire. Hiccup sat down on the edge of the bed, slightly behind her, and pushed her hair over her shoulder. He ran a fingertip down her spine, bringing a shiver with his touch.

Astrid opened her mouth; a gasp pushed its way out between her lips as his fingertip reached her tailbone, and four more joined it, and then his palm. He flattened his hand on her hip, and mirrored his touch with his other. His hot breath met her neck, then a slow kiss, and another. He kissed his way to her shoulder, slowly, each kiss lingering. His hands gently moved upward, dragging his short fingernails along her stomach, to her breasts.

He took one in each hand, worked them between his fingers while making love to her neck with his tongue. His tongue, _oh that tongue_. She wanted it, everywhere. His fingertips found her nipples, and she couldn't hold in her audible pleasure; Hiccup hummed into her neck as she moaned into his touch.

He licked his way to her ear and took the lobe into his mouth, and pulled her flush to his chest. Astrid reached behind her for his hair, and tangled her hand in it, pulled it, yanked it, anything to get him to make those sounds again. She wouldn't call it a growl, but it was a human growl, feral, territorial, and sexual. His hips bucked into hers from behind; his erection pulled at his pajama bottoms.

"Hiccup," Astrid gasped, he worked his hands in unison on her breasts.

His chest pulled away from her back, and in a short moment he pulled her around to face him. His lips found hers without hesitation. His tongue entered her mouth and she welcomed it with her own. Their tongue battle went on, and Astrid traced his chest with her nails. He shivered; she loved it. She ran her nails to his pants and pulled the waist deliberately, and pulled his erection out with her other hand.

He moaned into her mouth as she caressed him, kneaded the head with her thumb. Hiccup broke from her lips, and greedily replaced them with her chest. His teeth took a nipple; she arched into the bite, gasping at the lightning that zapped from his mouth to her legs, already soaked, and getting wetter.

She couldn't wait any longer. Astrid didn't give him the chance to take the lead; it was her turn. She pulled his mouth away from her chest, and pushed him back onto the bed. Hiccup didn't complain. He looked up at her with wide eyes as she pulled his pants the rest of the way off, leaving him as naked as her. She climbed on top of him, encouraged by his needy, wistful gaze.

Hiccup let out a wondrous moan as Astrid set herself over him. He was, in that moment, helpless. She lowered herself slowly, earning each moan that came from his lips. His hands met her hips, but she didn't start. She wanted to keep the feeling of being around him, of him inside of her, the fullness that did something she couldn't explain. She leaned down to him and kissed him. He kissed her back, hands loose and shaky. His hips bucked up into hers; he couldn't wait. Neither could she.

She began to work herself over him, pumping her hips like he would do, in and out, repeat. _Oh_, it felt _good_. Hiccup's euphoria shone on his face, on his rolling eyes and gapping mouth. His hands held on her hips, thrusting upward as she came down, crashing their hips together with a feverish need she hadn't felt before.

She felt her pleasure building, white-hot and quivering, ready to explode. By the sounds that Hiccup made, he felt his. An ache began in her legs, but she refused to quit until she's finished, until he'd finished. It came closer, building upon each thrust, until it exploded, sending the white-not stars across her vision. She slowed, but returned to Hiccup's pace; waves came through her, each a little less than the previous. Hiccup's grip on her hips tightened; his shuddering breath told her he'd came, and his slowing pace proved it.

"Gods," Astrid breathed, collapsing on top of him. His arms folded around her, tangled in her hair.

"I love you," Hiccup panted; his chest heaved.

She kissed his cheek. "I love you, too."

Hiccup's hand slid down her back to her hip. Worry returned to his face.

"What's wrong?" Astrid asked. She sat up. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No," he said at once. "No, you were…amazing. Perfect."

She glanced down at his hand. "Then what's the matter?"

Hiccup shook his head and tried to form words. "I-I came inside you. I try to pull out before, but I just…it just happened, I couldn't, I didn't want to. I wanted it to last."

Astrid put her hand over his. "It's okay."

He blinked at her. "Astrid, do we need to have the where-babies-come-from talk?"

She smiled. "No, although I'd love to hear your side of the story."

He didn't look humored. "What if you get pregnant? If I were King I could do something, but I'm not. I don't have the final say in those kinds of matters. I mean, sure I could whine about it until Dad caved, but that's a lot of work."

"No, Hiccup, it's okay. I'll take care of it." Astrid knew her mother drank special tea for that, and if it didn't work, there were pills. Her mother had taken one years ago and at the time Astrid had been too young to understand. Her mother had been ill for days.

"Are you sure?" Hiccup asked.

She nodded.

"If you need anything, let me know. I've gone some strings I could pull." Hiccup pushed her hair away from her face. "I happen to know some pretty high-up people."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, one of them is _royalty_."

Astrid laughed; Hiccup laughed with her.

"Now come on, if you're late for breakfast your mother will be mad, at me," Astrid laughed as she stood up, not minding her nakedness, and helped Hiccup off the bed, too.

Holding hands, they walked into the bathroom together. They washed the sex off of each other, added to it with a few kisses between suds, and were only a few minutes short of the breakfast hour. No one asked why Astrid's hair was wet, or why Hiccup seemed to be in such a pleasant mood.

Astrid caught Heather's glance, and held it. The other girl looked her up and down, and it sent a shiver down Astrid's spine, as cold as ice.

X

Hiccup's first date that day didn't leave the castle, instead the girl, Nicole, opted for a cup of coffee in one of the castle's many seating rooms. She chose the highest one, in the east tower. Hiccup held her arm in his as they walked up the winding stairs; he would cast a glance over his shoulder at Astrid when he thought Nicole wasn't looking.

"Your mother is absolutely ecstatic about the big ball," Nicole said. "I can't blame her. It'll be the biggest party of the decade, maybe the century with how she's going on and on."

"That's one reason I'm glad I have my mother," Hiccup said. "Because I don't have to plan flowers or food. I'm terrible at it."

"Oh? If you had to plan your own party, what would you have?"

"Catering. Sandwiches of every kind and bread and shape."

Nicole laughed. It wasn't the nervous laugh she'd had on their first date. Astrid remembered her. Low-energy. Not the brightest candle. Hiccup didn't seem to mind her as much. Her father was on the council, as was her uncle. Her grandfather had retired from the council. Her mother sat on the Queen's Court. Her sister was married to one of the royal knights, a highly ranked group within the guard.

The sitting room she'd chosen was among a stacking library, with shelves as high as the vaulted ceilings. High enough for a ladder to roll along the shelves. Their table sat in front of a large window looking over the grounds. Coffee had been made for two.

"I thought this would be much better than a distracting ride to somewhere else. I mean, the castle is so big, and it's like an expedition every day. Does it ever grow old?"

"Hide and seek was always fun." Hiccup smirked. He looked sheepishly around the library. "But, it does get old. I actually haven't been in here in a while."

"I suppose you've read all the books?"

"Nah, it's just a long walk. Stairs."

She smiled. "That's understandable. My legs are a bit achy."

Nicole took sugar in her coffee, a lot of it, and it was to her dismay when she saw the sugar cup nearly empty.

"Fetch more sugar for the Lady," a guard handed the empty cup to Astrid. He pointed toward the stairs.

"Arvil," Hiccup said in that no-nonsense tone of his.

"Yes, young Sir?"

"I would appreciate it if you didn't order my maid around. She's not your slave." Hiccup kept his gaze on the guard. Nicole looked between the two of them, and then at Astrid.

"Yes, young Sir."

"Astrid, do you mind getting us more sugar?" Hiccup asked, sweet as he could; Astrid knew he hardly spoke that way to anyone.

"Not at all." Astrid bent at the knees, tipped her head, and added, "My young Sir."

She turned just in time to see Hiccup's grin. Whether or not Nicole saw it, or what she thought of it, she didn't wait to find out. Astrid started back down the endless stairs to the castle, where she would make the trek back to the kitchens. By the time she got back their coffee would be cold.

At the bottom of the stairs, Astrid took a short break to rest her legs and then continued on to the kitchens. She heard the familiar castle voices as she went: servants, staff, visitors, and a luxurious tour. She'd heard about those before, and seen a few as she cleaned, but the touring citizens had always ignored her, the simple servant girl. Not anymore.

"Look, Momma, is that her? Is that the girl from the paper?"

Someone shushed the little girl quickly. Astrid kept walking, sugar bowl in hand. Pay no mind, she told herself. Pay no mind. To avoid the tour again, she took a longer way around the main corridors toward the kitchen. It was mostly storage for the numerous rooms of the castle. She'd only taken a step when she heard unfamiliar voices.

"All I'm saying is that we're wasting valuable time." The speaker was gruff, hoarse, and angry.

"We are doing fine." The speak she knew. She'd met him. Dagur. "Stoick doesn't think a thing out of place, other than me being here. He'll never know what hit him."

The other man laughed. "He's too busy with all his party preparations."

"That bubble-head of a King from Shivering Shoes is keeping him busy. Before either of them can figure it out, it'll be too late," said Dagur.

"But, sir, I have a question."

"What?" Dagur spoke with venom. The other man shouldn't have had a question.

"What will we do with Berk once we have it?"

"We?"

"I mean, you. You. What will you do with it?"

"I don't know," Dagur spat. "Burn it to the ground, dance on the ashes, plunder, or I could move in. I hate to say it, but it's nicer than Berserker Island. Those coastlines, the food, yeah, I could get used to this."

"But," the other man said, then paused. "I'm sorry, Dagur, sir, I'm just trying to get a grasp on the plan. What about the prince?"

"Hiccup?" Dagur laughed. "Are you kidding? What is he going to do? He can't lift anything heavy enough to hurt me."

The other man laughed. "Right."

"We'll just have to execute him for show of power," Dagur said casually.

Astrid hugged the sugar bowl to her chest; the lid popped off. Astrid reached for it, but couldn't reach it in time. She bent down as it clanked on the stone floor. Silence erupted in the room from which the voices had come. Astrid grabbed the lid and ran as fast as she could.


	27. Chapter 27

A/N – Yeah, I fell off the face of the world for a while. It happens. Sorry for the long delay in updates. I'll try not to be so long next time. I didn't give this one the round of proofreading I typically do, so try not to hate me for the probable typos.

**Chapter 27**

Stoick stepped out of his office and onto his balcony; he needed the fresh air. He leaned on the stone railing and let it take some of the pressure that rested upon his shoulders. He had seen his father stand in the same position. It wasn't until he took on the role of king that he understood why. There should be a dent in the stone by now, but it had held firm.

On a clear day he could see almost to the other side of the royal grounds, the tops of the Berk Winery. He liked to think that someone there might be looking back at him.

He took a deep inhale of the warm, almost-summer air. What a dilemma his son had gotten himself into. As King, Stoick knew what he should do. As a father, he didn't. If only Hiccup had grown up to be more like him, instead of his mother. Things would have turned out differently.

His office door opened and the Queen marched inside, her skirt fluttering about her legs, her hair much too bright for her face. She'd been prettier with brown hair, and Stoick had made the mistake of telling her so, and she had laughed and said he knew little how female fashion. The Queen sighed loudly and sat into one of three armchairs chairs that sat across from Stoick's large desk.

Stoick held in his own sigh. He said, "Yes?"

"The Women's Council always tires me out."

"Now you know how I feel after a council meeting."

She inhaled, hesitated, words on her tongue. She straightened a crease in her skirt and cleared her throat. "Dear, how much longer do you think that Berserker boy will be here?"

"He's not a boy, Margret, he's the King."

"He acts like a child. Worse than Hiccup, which is saying something." She sighed. "Although, I believe Hiccup has done better of late. This marriage will be good for him."

Stoick doubted the dates had been the cause of Hiccup's change, but he kept those thoughts to himself. "Dagur hasn't specified a departure date. Why?"

"The girls don't like him, and neither do I." She paused and spoke lower, "He keeps eyeing the castle like it's his own. I don't trust him."

"I don't either, but if I kick him out he'll send his armada in revenge." Stoick sat down at his desk. "The Berserkers are delicate. If they think they are in charge, they'll be fine. Dagur won't be a problem. Let him be Dagur. I'll worry about him."

She pouted. "Alright. I'll trust it to your hands. You always did have the better judgement of character when it came to men. And the bigger hands."

Stoick sighed and pulled a stack of papers to his attention. Royal Guard reports. States. Requests for equipment. His wife still sat. "Is there something else you need?"

She hesitated and then let out a small sigh. She shook her head. "Not at the moment."

"I will see you at dinner, then," Stoick said and returned to his work. Did the Royal Guard need new boots? What was wrong with the ones they wore?

"The ball is coming along well," she said after a moment.

"That's nice."

"It'll be the biggest yet. I looked into an ice sculpture, but in this weather it wouldn't last more than an hour before it would melt. I decided against it."

"Good. Those floors weren't meant for water."

She tapped her heel as she stood. "I think Hiccup will make a decision soon."

Stoick hesitated, pen above the signature line. "How do you know that?"

"I have a feeling." She chuckled. "I listen to all the girls, remember. About the dates, Hiccup, what he says and how he acts. They're observant things. Do you remember the one that I like?"

"Yes."

"I have a good feeling about her."

X

Astrid returned to the tower library with a full cup of sugar in her trembling hands. She held on tight to the cup. She did not want to explain how sugar got onto the floor, to anyone. Toothless met her halfway up the spiraling stairs, sitting with his black tail flicking back and forth.

"Where have you been?" Astrid asked. She bent down to where Toothless lay and scratched his head. He eagerly pressed into her palm.

_Meow_. He reached to sniff the sugar.

"No, you don't need any of this. You'd roll in it and get it everywhere." Astrid held the sugar up as she stood, away from his range although she doubted he'd make a jump for it. She started back up the stairs with Toothless at her heels.

As expected, the coffee had gone a little cold, but neither Nicole nor Hiccup complained. They drank and talked, Toothless underneath Hiccup's chair, while Astrid leaned against the far bookshelf. Her heart raced, pumping blood through her ears like a storm. Toothless' yellow eyes watched her, ears twitching to Hiccup's words.

Dagur wanted to take over Berk. Kill Stoick. Kill Hiccup. Panic raged through her stomach, purging nausea at the thought. What should she do? Hiccup needed to know. Stoick needed to know. Anyone needed to know, but Astrid couldn't interrupt the date. She couldn't run into Stoick's chambers, or to the council, or to anyone else. No one would listen to her. No one would listen to a conspiracy blather without proof, and Dagur would deny.

Astrid looked away from her spot on the floor. Hiccup caught her stare. Nicole looked down at something and Hiccup cast a worried glance at Astrid. She shook her head at him. Not now. Nicole looked back up and Hiccup's worry dissolved.

Astrid stood by the side as the date came to a close. The guards escorted the two back down the stairs and Astrid followed at a calm pace. Toothless bounced in front of her, looking back every few stairs at her. Nicole and Hiccup bid farewell to teach other at the cross between their corridors. Hiccup began to walk back to his chamber and Astrid didn't pay much attention to the walk. Her head buzzed.

She followed him into his room. He closed the door and reached for her arms, holding her tight. She yelped; Hiccup's gaze met hers.

"What's wrong?"

She blinked, breath gone for the moment.

_Meow_.

"Astrid, talk to me." Hiccup's grip on her arms tightened. She winced. Hiccup sighed, and let go. "I'm sorry. You're acting strange."

"Hiccup," she said. "I have to tell you something."

He took a step closer, but didn't touch her. "Okay. Just talk to me."

She told him everything. She talked about the tour she'd encountered, the fingers that pointed, the stares, the deserted corridor, the whispers, the plot, and Dagur. She sucked in her breath at the end, breathless.

"What?" Hiccup asked. "He said that?"

She nodded. "Yes. I heard him. Hiccup, we have to do something."

Hiccup shook his head. "We have to tell my Dad."

He took her by the hand and rushed out of his bedroom. He pulled her along after him, down the corridor, up another one, and down a spiraling staircase. He brought her to a richly decorated corridor and through a set of wide, heavy doors with brass handless. They stood in a circular room with elaborate crown molding along the painted ceiling. Stained glass let in the sunlight, shining in rainbow of colors along the shined floor. At the far end, sitting on a raised platform, was the king's throne.

Towering metal statues of dragons stood watch on either side of the throne, the mouths of which served as torches. A servant lit the dragon's mouths by standing on a wooden stool.

"Where's my dad?" Hiccup asked at once.

The servant turned to Hiccup, eyes wide and strangely calm. He gave a quick bow of his head. "His Majesty will be along shortly."

Hiccup squeezed Astrid's hand. The servant did not let his go unnoticed; his eyes lingered on their joined hands. Astrid knew the man's face. She had seen him before in the servants' quarters, as she was sure he had her. This instant would be talked about before sunset. The servant took his leave through the main doors, leaving Hiccup and Astrid alone in the silence.

"I didn't go home last night," Astrid whispered aloud.

"What do you mean?"

"I slept in your room. I didn't go home. My parents will be worried about me."

"They don't think I can take care of you?"

"I think," Astrid said, trying to be humored, "that's what they're worried about."

Hiccup grinned. He squeezed her hand. "I know they talk big, but it's just talk. If any one of them were given the chance to be in your shoes, I doubt any of them would say no."

"Excuse me?" Astrid tried to pull her hand from his, but he held on.

"That's not what I meant," Hiccup said with a shake of his head. "I mean, they see that I care about you. I'm not mean to you. They work all day, cleaning and cooking and keeping this place running. You get to follow me around and make me coffee. You eat better than them, you get to explore the kingdom, and since last night, you sleep in a better bed. They're jealous, Astrid."

She chewed on her lip; she knew what he tried to say, what he meant. "I've never thought of it like that."

A hidden side door to the throne room opened and Stoick the Vast walked inside, dressed to impress. His eyes settled on his son and he heaved a great sigh.

"Dad, I have to tell you something," Hiccup said.

Stoick held up his massive hand. He sat in his throne, filling up every inch of it, and held a hand to his temple. "It's too early for this, Son."

"What?" Hiccup asked, then shook his head. "No, it's not about me. It's Dagur."

Stoick dropped his hand. "What about Dagur?"

Hiccup cast a glance at Astrid and squeezed her hand. "I asked Astrid to get something from the kitchens, and she overheard him talking to one of his men."

Stoick's brows came together. His eyes settled on Astrid, his eyes that reminded her of Hiccup's. "Is this true?"

"Yes," Astrid said. She added quickly, "Your Majesty."

"Tell me what your heard," Stoick said calmly. He leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

Hiccup gave her an encouraging grin. She retold her steps to the kitchen, the sidestepping from the tour, and the words Dagur and his men had said. When she'd finished, Stoick leaned back, hands folded in front of his chin, eyes unreadable.

"Dad," Hiccup said urgently. "Dagur's plotting against Berk. We need to get rid of him."

"Don't worry about it further," Stoick said.

"But, Dad, he's-"

"I know, Hiccup. I don't like him any more than you do," said Stoick. "Dagur has threatened Berk many times, but he won't do anything. He may have an armada, but Berk has better soldiers. The Berserkers know this."

"So I'm supposed to stand by and do nothing?" Hiccup said, accusations on his breath.

"I didn't say that," Stoick shook his head. "Keep an eye on Dagur. He seems to think he can wander the castle freely."

Hiccup sighed. "Okay."

Hiccup turned to leave, hand holding onto Astrid's, when his father spoke up again. "Son, your mother tells me that the search for a wife is going well."

"Yeah, sure," Hiccup said. He wiggles his handhold with Astrid. "It's going fine."

"Son," Stoick said, standing. He held his mouth open, but no more words came out. He fidgeted, patting the armrests of his throne, and sat back down. "Good hunting."

Hiccup stared at his father, then the floor. He passed a glance to Astrid and pulled her out of the throne room. Hiccup walked with his eyes on the floor in front of him, brows together. Astrid kept pace with him, hand in his.

"It'll be alright," she said.

"And if Dagur kills us all in our sleep?"

"We'll lock him in a closet first."

Hiccup smiled and without looking to see if anyone watched, he leaned over to kiss her on the lips.

X

Most of the second dates happened at the castle or nearby, a pattern that Astrid took note of. The girls wore simple makeup, basic dresses, and looked like normal, healthy women. Astrid stood to the side, within view of both the woman and Hiccup, while they chatted and Hiccup tried to play nice. If he had started out as nice, these dates might have turned out differently.

The last date happened in the morning, a picnic inside the west wing lounge due to the rain. Hiccup left the girl with a kiss on the cheek.

"I changed my mind about her," Astrid said. "I like her."

"She's alright," Hiccup said. He stretched his neck to the side. "Are you ready to spend another week at the cabin?"

Astrid blushed and smiled. "Of course."

After a quick lunch, Astrid and Hiccup climbed into the back of a waiting carriage behind the castle. Toothless hopped in after and climbed up to the window. He watched with wide, yellow eyes as the world began to pass by. Hiccup sighed and leaned back into the cushioned seat, and searched for Astrid's hand.

"After this," Hiccup said with his eyes close. "I either get to make my final decision or go through another round of dates. There's only been one royal that went through three rounds."

"Does that mean you're ready to make that decision or that you want to go through another round?"

Hiccup sighed. He squeezed Astrid's hand. "I've made my decision. I picked you."

Astrid smiled; blush came back to her cheeks. If only she had been an option. Hiccup lifted Astrid's hand to his lips and lingered with his lips against her skin. Trees popped up on either side of the carriage and Hiccup kissed her lips. He dared his lips along her jaw, along the neckline of her dress, and slowly lifted the skirt up her legs.

Astrid moved in her seat, spreading her legs as he knelt on the carriage floor. He kissed the inside of her knee, hands on her thighs, and kissed his way along her skin. He tugged on her underwear, wiggled it down her legs, and replaced the fabric with his mouth. Astrid gasped at the warmth of his tongue, the touch of his fingers, as he slowly made love to her with his mouth. She tangled her hands in his auburn hair, and bit her lip to keep her shouts out of the driver's hearing.

By the time the carriage stopped outside the cabin, Astrid rested her head against Hiccup's shoulder. The driver opened the door with his disdained grimace, and Hiccup thanked him for the ride. He pulled his only suitcase from the back and carried to the door of the cabin himself, leaving the driver looking confused.

Astrid followed Hiccup into the cabin and watched the carriage trot back down the road to the castle. Toothless had spotted something in the underbrush. His tail stilled, his eyes grew wide, and his entire body tensed to pounce on the unsuspecting something. Hiccup dropped the suitcase onto the couch and groaned; he plopped down beside it.

Astrid left the door cracked so Toothless could return, and sauntered over to where Hiccup sat on the couch. She nudged her way between his knees and sat on the floor like he had in the carriage. She fastened her hands around his belt; he shivered.

"Are you sure you want to?" Hiccup asked, hands on his knees.

Astrid nodded. She wanted to make him squirm, too. She undid his belt and he gave no objections. It hardened; she felt it grow through the material. She reached into his pants and grabbed hold; Hiccup gripped his knees. She wiggled it out and ran her finger down his length, pulling a shiver out of Hiccup. It twitched in her grip.

She covered the tip with her mouth, and an erotic gasp like she'd never heard came out of his mouth. She wanted to hear it again. She made love to him as best she knew. Judging by the ecstasy that rolled off of his tongue, she did it right.

"Astrid," he gasped, hands in her hair. He thrust his hips forward as she worked her mouth on him, and after a small debacle she found his rhythm.

He shuddered. He pulled her off as he came.

"Good?" Astrid asked, finger to her lips.

Hiccup laughed, ecstasy lingering, and stroked her cheek with his thumb. "This week is going to be great."

"I know. I get you all to myself." Astrid smiled and climbed onto the couch, straddling his hips between her own.


	28. Chapter 28

A/N – Update! Whoo! My updates will be sporadic for a while. Classes have started up again – I'm taking two literature courses and they both have a fudge tone of reading each week. No it's not the fun reading that you can't put down. It's classic stories, old and out of fashion, chucky style with little character and a lot of exposition. Of course, I will probably do the thing were I read the first and last sentence of each paragraph until I get to the important parts. That's the strategy that go me through undergrad, why change now?

Anyway…here you go! There's talk of sex in this chapter, but there is not actual sex. I really didn't feel like writing smut today, so…meh. Who doesn't love a healthy dose of fluff?

I'd like to take some space here to thank you all for sticking with this story and putting up with me. You're all awesome.

X

**Chapter 28: Adventures in the Outdoors**

Astrid woke up to hands on her hips. Warm, gentle hands hugged her close. Hiccup's chest pressed into her back, both bare from the night before. Astrid inhaled the sleepy warmth of the sheets. Dawn's gray light seeped into the room, lighting with just enough ghostly glow to frame Hiccup's bedhead.

"Good morning," she said.

Hiccup bent down to nuzzle his nose into her cheek. He mumbled, "Morning."

Astrid curled into his arms and relaxed back into the bed. They'd had a long night. Discarding their clothes before sunset, they'd spent the evening tangled in each other, exploring without worry of intrusion, uninhibited by space or time. They made slow love, lazy sex, and she had enjoyed every moment of it.

Her growling stomach eventually pushed her out from beneath the covers and to her feet.

"What do you want for breakfast?" Astrid asked, pulling one of the thin robes over herself.

Hiccup watched her dress, exposed down to the fine hair above his groin.

"You," he said.

She smiled. "You had me for dinner last night."

He returned her grin. "I know. I'll never have too much."

"How about some eggs? Maybe toast?" Astrid said. She walked out into the main room and down the stairs, toward the kitchen.

Hiccup followed wearing just his pants. "Depends on what they stocked this place with. They didn't ask me what I wanted."

Astrid looked through the cabinets. "Hey, we've got eggs. And bread."

She readied the percolator over the stove and before it finished, she had eggs and toast for two sitting on the coffee table in the center of the living space. Hiccup sat on the couch, elbows resting against his knees, fingers laced together under his chin.

"What are you thinking about?" Astrid asked as she poured two mugs of coffee. She had an inkling to what, either her or the girls he had to choose from which was his primary reason for being out here.

"You, mostly," Hiccup said after a pause. "And a cup of coffee."

She brought the two cups to the table and set them down, each beside a plate. Hiccup picked his mug up and relished it against his lips. He took a small sip with his eyes closed. They ate in silence.

"Have you done any thinking about the girls?" Astrid asked. She hated to bring it up. It felt like a knife into their time, this time in the cabin, a reminder that anything between them is limited to what they are.

"A little."

"That's more than nothing."

"It's a tough choice."

"I won't say I envy your position." She didn't. She had wondered once or twice what it would be like to be in his position. Had she been born royal instead, a princess, she would have had men from all over the kingdom pawning for her hand in marriage, the equivalent to Hiccup's gaggling girls.

Hiccup stared into this coffee, thoughts elsewhere.

Part of her wanted him to just make a choice and get it over with, but the rest of her wanted him to never marry, to keep this dating game up as long as he could. She wanted him to herself. She didn't want to share him, even in a political show, with anyone. She could tell Hiccup these thoughts, but it wouldn't matter. She didn't have a choice. He would marry.

Toothless sat on the windowsill in the main room, tail swinging with his leisure pleasure. His ears twitched back and forth, eyes wide and alert, watching all manner of the forest beyond the glass. Birds chirped and danced between branches; squirrels ran back and forth.

"I think I've narrowed it down," Hiccup said after a while.

"That's good." Her stomach squeezed. She took another drink of her coffee.

Hiccup inhaled and looked up, eyes dark, assumable from whatever thoughts he'd suffered himself through. "What do you want to do today?"

Astrid smiled. "Well…I suppose we could…"

"Besides sex, I mean."

Astrid raised a brow at him.

He laughed, hand on his neck. "I mean, it's not that I don't…I already plan on having sex. That's not exactly up to debate."

She laughed at his nervousness. "So that would leave a few minutes for something else."

He grinned and his face brightened. "Exactly. So what would you like to fill those few extra minutes with?"

"A walk in the woods?"

"I know a nice little bluff by the river."

"That sounds like an adventure." Astrid's skin prickled. She thought of the bluff where they had skinny dipped before. She had been terrified of him seeing her naked, of him touching her. This time she couldn't wait to get into the water with him.

Astrid quickly did the morning dishes. Upstairs, in the bedroom they shared, they dressed for a morning outside. Toothless stood by the door, ready and waiting.

Toothless bounced along the forest path in front of them, chasing sunspots that danced along the ground, thrown by the breeze in the canopy. Birds chirped and whistled all around. Hiccup slid his hand into Astrid's and she held on tight as they walked. They made no rush to get there faster.

This is what she wanted. Hiccup to herself with no one pushing or staring or gawking. Yes, she admitted to herself, she had fallen in love with the spoiled, devious Prince of Berk, Hiccup Haddock. That sounds impossible, yet she held onto his hand and climbed into his bed on purpose with the intent of being touch, and touching.

"You want another swimming lesson?" Hiccup asked once the bluff came into view.

Astrid laughed, not fond of the memory of near-drowning. "Not today. Maybe some other time, in a controlled setting with water all the same depth."

Toothless bounded ahead of them tail tall in the air. He jumped down the bluff to the floor below, and meowed back up at them.

"I think he just called you out," Hiccup said.

"Oh, he did?"

Hiccup nodded. He let go of her hand and walked backward toward the edge of the bluff, grinning madly. "Toothless thinks you don't want to swim because you can't."

"Is that so?" Astrid crossed her arms.

Hiccup nodded.

She huffed. "Well, I will show that cat what's what."

Hiccup grinned as she climbed down to the bluff's bottom. Toothless meowed at the edge of the water, as if Hiccup's personification had been true. Astrid slipped off her shoes and pulled the soft linen shirt over her head, and set it clear away from the water's range. She slid her pants of the same material to the floor and set them with her shirt and shoes. She stepped to the water's edge; the stream had stilled and tiny pebbles lined the bottom.

She felt the water first. Warm. She jumped into the waist-deep water. Toothless jumped in after. His wet head and tail popped out of the water. His four little feet peddled away under the surface.

"Toothless is showing you how it's done," Hiccup said. He'd paused halfway down the climb to the bottom. He jumped the rest of the way. The impact of his shoes of the rock made Toothless jump.

Hiccup undressed and tossed his clothes with Astrid's. Naked, he jumped into the water not far from where she stood.

She had a feeling that she'd not learn a thing about swimming. Hiccup stepped up to her and slid his wet hands on her hips. His hardening sex poked her thigh.

She wouldn't be learning anything, at least for a while. She held onto his slippery shoulders and indulged in the ecstasy he provided.

X

Ingrid set the bowl down in front of her husband, but he didn't touch it. He hadn't eaten anything the last several days. Ingrid poured herself a bowl and sat down beside him instead of across.

"Dear, you're getting thin. You'll need your strength. It will be all hands on deck come time for the ball," Ingrid said, nudging the bowl of tasteless brown slop closer to him. "Are you feeling alright?"

He let out a gruff laugh. "I haven't felt alright in weeks. It feels as though it's been a year already."

Ingrid inhaled. She did not need to ask for clarification. Their daughter's plight had taken over his life. She stirred her wooden spoon into the brown mix. Some sugar would make it taste so much better. "Astrid is looking healthy. She's gained weight. Her cheeks are fuller than they used to be."

Of course, the pitiful rations didn't help matters.

"I suppose he's letting her eat the food that he eats. It's surprising he stays so thin. Look at his father."

"Ingrid," Alistair said suddenly, hands on the table, eyes lost in the muck. He wore the serious expression.

"What is it?" Ingrid placed a hand over her heart.

Alistair inhaled and placed his hand over his wife's. "Before the Prince and Astrid left, he came to see me."

His pause sent her curiosity overboard. "What?"

"He didn't seek me out, exactly," he said, shaking his head. "I stood in the Armory, helping polish and rearrange. I took a bag of used rags outside and I saw him. He asked to borrow me, said he had something to lift."

"Oh, I bet, boy has arms the size of a garden snake," Ingrid interrupted. Her husband patted her hand.

"He had nothing for anyone to lift."

"Then what…?"

"He wanted to talk, to me."

"Astrid?"

Alistair nodded.

Pregnant was the first thought that came to her mind, a mother's fear. "What about her?"

Alistair inhaled, breath filled with what he wanted to say but didn't know how.

X

The setting sun gleamed in through the large windows of the cabin and turned the hazy air of the late summer a blaze. Astrid arranged the coffee table with a simple dinner of sandwiches and wine, Hiccup's favorite from the pantry. They had restocked, it seemed. She had no sooner stepped back to admire her work than the bathroom door opened. Hiccup stepped out, towel around his waist, another draped over his head.

"Dinner is served, Your Highness," Astrid said with a deep bow.

Hiccup stepped past her and kissed her cheek, then stepped into the bedroom for clothes.

They had arrived in a state of sweat, river water, and muck. A long shower seemed fitting. They stayed in the warm water until it began to cool, touching and exploring the increasingly familiar territory.

Astrid sat down on the sofa. She didn't realize how exhausting a day of lovemaking could be. She foresaw an early bed for herself, although she knew that once she snuggled into bed beside Hiccup those plans would be forfeit.

Hiccup returned in no time at all, dressed in cool summer clothes. He took his place beside Astrid and together they ate. The sun fell lower, blazing hotter and hotter until it finally vanished to the other side of the west. Wine glass in hand, Astrid sat with her legs draped over Hiccup's lap.

"Have you made any mental progress on your decision?" Astrid asked, although she'd rather forget all about the real world.

"I've been sorting through them," Hiccup said, eyes in his wine. He took a sip. "I've eliminated a few."

"Oh? Which ones?"

Hiccup sighed. He didn't want to talk about it, she knew, but he had to. It wouldn't just go away. "Tiffany. She's alright, but she's a little…airy, I suppose. Too quick to correct me or question things. It's annoying."

Astrid took a moment to recall her to mind. "I remember her. You could do better."

"I already have," Hiccup said, thumb running a smooth line down her knee. His green eyes fell into a sorrowful gaze.

Astrid laid her hand atop his. "Anyone else you've crossed off the list?"

"That girl that wanted to have coffee in a tower. Romantic, sort of, but mostly ridiculous."

"Nicole?"

"That might have been her name. I don't remember."

"I suppose it's a safe rule by this point to eliminate any whose name you can't remember."

He nodded and took a sip of his wine.

At first glance, that fateful day in the palace, Astrid hadn't considered Hiccup to be anything close to handsome. His arrogance derailed any such thought. Sitting here, legs draped over him, still riding the last waves of lovely bliss, she saw only a handsome face. His fine jaw and proportioned brow, his soft hair, his gentle and intelligent eyes, that damn smirk of his.

"You look distressed," Astrid said. She touched his cheek. "I say we call it a night before one of us passes out. I don't know if I could carry you up the stairs."

Hiccup finished off his wine in a single gulp and Astrid, feeling challenged, did the same, although she had a bit more than him. He laughed and licked a stray drop from the corner of her mouth. His arms snaked around her and underneath her, and in a short moment of momentum, he hoisted her into the air.

Astrid laughed, hanging onto his neck. He carried her up the stairs and into the bedroom they shared, and plopped her down onto the bed. Before words could be shared, his mouth covered hers, tasting of sweet red wine. She pulled him over her, back onto the bed, already feeling need rising from anticipation and desire.

Clean clothes scattered the hardwood floor with soft plops, heated skin touched heated skin and yearned for more, hasty breaths devoured hasty breaths. They didn't speak; no words were needed. Astrid scrummed to him, his passionate touches, his feral need. She wanted all of him, always, and rejoiced the part of him that he willingly gave. It dampened her heart to know that this relationship between them, no matter how much love they poured into it, would not last.


	29. Chapter 29

A/N – Does the story feel like it's slowing down to anyone else? Just me? Cool. Like I said earlier – it might have been in this story or another update – I've got a fudge tone of course work this quarter. I've been busier than any other quarter. I probably won't update as frequently as I have been, if you can call my sporadic updates frequent. That doesn't mean I will give up on these stories, I promise that I won't. I will finish them; you've got my writer's word.

X

**Chapter 29: The Return**

Astrid rolled over, soft sheets sliding across her bare skin, and found the other side of the bed empty. Soft morning light, pale gold, dappled through the curtains and onto the spot where Hiccup slept. The blanket angled to the side. Astrid ran her hand along the sheet. Cold.

She stretched under the blanket and wiggled her way to the floor, feet first. She slipped on the simple, well-made clothes she'd worn the evening before, prior to the midnight lovemaking that required their removal.

Hiccup sat in the living room with the note cards, each baring a candidate's name, laid out in front of him. There were few enough now that he could see them all at the same time. From the doorway, she saw their arrangement. One had been moved from the order and sat closer to him, in the middle, as if under heavy thought. He held his hand at his chin, eyes posed on the card.

She stepped to the stairs and found the railing. "You're up early."

Hiccup jumped and swept the cards aside, skewing the order. He gathered them up into a pile, bending the edges of a few in his haste. "Yeah, I-I woke up about an hour or so ago."

"Why didn't you wake me up?" Astrid asked. She sat down beside him.

He leaned back into the couch beside her and flattened his hands on his knees. "I almost did, but-"

Astrid set her hand on top of his. "But what? Are you alright?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good," he said, nodding several times. He didn't meet her eye as he added, "You look nice when you sleep."

Astrid squeezed his hand. She stood, not pressing the issue. "Coffee?"

"Yes, please," he said. "I was going to make it but…I realized once I got down here that I have no idea how."

Astrid laughed, stretching the sleep from her throat. "It's not hard. Do you want to learn?"

Hiccup followed her to the counter. He stood behind her, hands on her hips, and watched as she prepared the percolator. She set it on the stove.

"And as the water boils, it makes coffee," Astrid said, pointing to the clear top where they could see into the ground coffee's chamber. "Then you take out the grounds and you've got coffee."

"Huh," he said, leaning onto her.

Astrid leaned into his chest and he snaked his arms further around her waist. Her thoughts returned to the cards he moved. Everything about his behavior told her that he had done so because he didn't want her to see them, and that he had gotten out of bed without waking her for more than the reasons he mentioned.

Had he wanted time alone to think about his predicament? She understood. He'd had no need to lie about it to her. Why did he think he needed to lie? To hide it?

He kissed her neck as the water began to heat up.

"The deliberation is up today," he said to her neck. "The carriage is coming back this afternoon to pick us up."

Her entire chest heaved downward. "Really? I didn't know it would be so soon."

"Dad gave me a stiff deadline," Hiccup said, lips against her neck. He kissed her tenderly. "It seems that Dagur is waiting around for the ball and Dad wants Dagur gone as soon as possible."

"It seems like a strange reason to rush an important decision," Astrid said.

Hiccup didn't say much, a hesitation cut the edge of his inhale.

"Have you made a decision?" Astrid asked.

"I have," Hiccup said. His breath hitched. "I've decided to go another round. I can prologue it a little more."

"Oh," Astrid said, unable to tell if it was dread or disappointment that stung in her chest. "Okay."

"But we've still gone some time before they show up," Hiccup said.

The water began to hiss and boil. Astrid kept her eyes on the clear lid, waiting for the boiling water to bubble up and pop into the ground coffee chamber, splashing the murky grounds in every direction.

That meant more dates. Another deliberation. In a way she just wanted this entire ordeal to be over. She wanted to go back to her laundry, to filling linen closets and keeping the castle clean and organized. She wanted to leave it behind, but she couldn't. She had wound herself so far into Hiccup, threaded herself into him, until those seams couldn't be torn. She couldn't walk away from him and go back to being a maid in the castle. The other servants wouldn't let her, either.

Hiccup leaned around and kissed her cheek, jarring her out of her troubling thoughts.

When the coffee finished, she poured two cups and sat with him on the couch. He didn't touch the pile of cards. If she mentioned it, or the girls, he would quickly change the subject or start another crusade of love against her jaw, her neck.

Toothless lounged in the window, tail flickering, watching the sunny world outside. His head would twitch as a squirrel darted or a bird flew from branch to branch. He stared intently at a little blue bird as it decided which branch to sit on.

The carriage arrived early. The playful conversation fell into a dismal gray as they packed what little they'd brought and heaved it onto the carriage. Hiccup held his hand out for Astrid and helped her into the carriage, and climbed in after, and closed the door when Toothless hopped inside, much to the dislike of the carriage driver. The ride back through the countryside took less time that the previous had. A smaller crowd waited outside the castle that included Spitelout and the Queen and a small handful of servants.

"No gaggling welcoming party?" Hiccup commented.

"I'm sure Spitelout gaggles just fine," Astrid said, earning herself a warm smirk, the first she'd seen that day.

The Queen ushered Hiccup inside and into a small parlor off the deck, a sunporch of sorts. Astrid followed, as did Spitelout, who wore his dislike of Astrid proudly.

Tea and cookies had been brought and sat on a small wooden table with matching chairs. Hiccup sat down and grabbed a cookie, shoving the whole thing into his mouth. The Queen sat across from him and adjusted her chair to stare directly at him. Her thick skirts poofed over the sides of the chair, draping over.

"So?" the Queen asked, leaning forward. "Any romantic breakthroughs? I've been hearing good things from the girls. They all seem to think you've taken a special liking to them. I'm glad that you listened to my advice, Hiccup. The first round of dates didn't do anything to shine your reputation."

"I'm sure I'd need a lot of shine to get rid of the tarnish," Hiccup said. He reached for another cookie. He handed it to Astrid and motioned for her to take it. "Peanut butter. They're good."

"No, thank you," Astrid said. She didn't need to look at the Queen to feel her venomous glare. Astrid added, "Sir."

"Well," the Queen said, drawing his attention back to herself, "the preparations for the ball are nearly complete. It will be the biggest party this century. And as such, your father and I have arranged a meeting between the three of us this evening after dinner."

"Alright," Hiccup said, fingering a third cookie.

The Queen stood and walked past Astrid and through the sunporch door. Spitelout followed. The door shut and latched with a heavy clank.

"These are really good," Hiccup said about the cookies. "They're my favorite. Mom always orders some when she's trying to get on my good side."

"Does that mean she's normally on your bad side?" Astrid asked. She had not heard the Queen's tell-tale heels clicking away down the corridor, and she had the sinking suspicious that she lurked just outside the wooden door. Spitelout's Royal Guard issued boots had not clanked against the rug covered stone floor, either. Somehow Astrid didn't care. Let her hear the causal talk between the Prince and her.

Hiccup laughed. "Are you kidding? I know she doesn't like me. She could care less about my reputation. It's her reputation as a mother she's worried about."

Astrid raised a brow.

"Each time I mess up out there, it comes back to her in here," Hiccup said, motioning to himself and the chair opposite him. "Because, apparently, she's responsible for my actions regardless that she had no hand in raising me."

"She's still your mother," Astrid said.

"Hereditary chain," he said with a grin. "Now come here. Eat one of these so I can honestly say I didn't eat them all."

X

Hiccup led the way back to Hiccup's room. He remained silent for the most part, hands in his pockets, walking with his eyes focused on a point somewhere ahead. The servants they passed halted their actions, whether polishing statues or sweeping dust bunnies out from behind the suits of armor, to bow slightly. They didn't resume their duties immediately. They stared, a few pointed, and most whispered.

Astrid kept her eyes in front of her and pretended not to notice. Hiccup either did the same or didn't notice.

He opened the door to his room, walked inside and held it open for Astrid. She walked by him, into the room, and stopped dead. They were not alone in his room.

Dagur, King of the Berserkers, sat on the edge of Hiccup's bed. One of his men stood at the window, looking down at the grounds.

"What the hell?" Hiccup asked at once, moving in front of Astrid. He threw his hand up toward the intruders.

"Good afternoon to you, too, Hiccup," said Dagur in his coy tone. He got up, both hands extended in front of him as if he might hug Hiccup. "I heard you were coming home today and I thought I'd come by and greet you. The castle's been a bit empty without you."

"And you couldn't have done that, I don't know, anywhere else?" Hiccup nearly shouted. "This is my bedroom, not a lounge."

"I know," Dagur said. He dropped his arms. "I thought it would have more a personal feel than a corridor, or just some boring old room."

"It doesn't," Hiccup said. "Please get out before I have you removed."

Dagur's calm face twitched slightly, and for a tiny moment he wore a grimace, disgusted, twisted in anger and insanity, his small eyes pinned on Hiccup and thinking the worst sort of thoughts. Astrid balled her fists. She would forcibly remove him if she had to. Instead, Dagur walked toward the door, carving a path between Hiccup and Astrid. His man followed, silent and expressionless.

Hiccup shut the door behind him and locked it. For extra support, he secured the heavy deadbolt.

"Creep," Astrid spat.

"Tell me about it," Hiccup said, eyes on the door. He turned to Astrid, brows high. "Are you alright?"

Astrid blinked. She still held her fists tight. She wiggled her fingers loose and shook them. "Yeah. I don't like him. He's just…he thinks he can just walk around and do whatever, like he deserves it, like he owns everything and everyone. I hate people like that."

She emptied her sudden frustrating on the air, swinging a punch that she imagined at Dagur. She had so many more creative ways to kill people as a servant, laundry shoots, laundry baskets, kitchen utensils, garage disposal, rooms that no one ever entered.

Hiccup stood at the door, hand against the wood beside the deadbolt. His eyes fell on Astrid. A pained intensity he hadn't worn a moment before ran a dagger through her chest.

"Hiccup?" she asked.

"Is that what you thought of me?" he spoke quietly.

It took a moment to register the question, his thought. She shook her head before the words came. "What? No, Hiccup, I…it's not like that. You changed."

"You did, though, before?"

His heartbroken gaze settled on her, pins and needles in her chest. She clutched at her skirt.

"Before I knew you," she said. Her voice came as a squeak. "I didn't care for you much. You were mean. People said you did nasty things to the young girls that worked for you."

His eyes fell to the floor.

"That day you ran into me," Astrid said, trying to find the right words. They all felt wrong, although true. "I-I saw it was you and I was terrified. You followed me to the linen closet and I was thinking of ways to hide your body in the linens if you tried anything."

"You were?" he asked, barely looking up at her.

Astrid swallowed. She wasn't fixing anything. She took a large step and closed the space between them, cupping his jaw in her hands, bringing his eyes up to meet hers.

"Yes, I was," she said, looking into his eyes. He drank her words. "But then I got to know you, the real you, not the you that you pretend to be. You're not that nasty prince that everyone thinks you are. You're not Snotlout. You are a kindhearted, intelligent, and tender man underneath those rumors. You've made mistakes, but everyone does."

She ran her thumb along the fine stubble on his chin.

She said, "No one is sinless."

He leaned in and she met him halfway, holding his jaw as he snaked his arms around and hugged her close. They kissed, refusing to let each other go.

"I love you," he said against her lips. He kissed her again and buried his face in her neck. "I love you so much."

Astrid wormed her hands around his neck and held him close. "I love you, too."

For a while they stayed in their embrace, until at last they parted. Hiccup called dinner to them, a setting for two, ate in the lounge down the hall from his room. Astrid remained in his room while he attended the meeting with his parents, straightening up, tucking in the sheets, and making sure the bathroom had been cleaned.

The toothbrush that she had used the other night still sat in the holder, beside his.

The sun touched the horizon and still Hiccup had not come back. She checked the inventory in the bathroom, twice, and smoothed every wrinkle out of his bedclothes. She retrieved his silk pajamas from the dresser and laid them out for him on the edge of the bed.

With nothing else to do, she sat in his desk chair. The bright gold of the sunlight drifted farther up the walls as the sunlight faded, the light glowing less and less. Astrid lit a candle in the last of the light and set it on the nightstand.

Where would she sleep tonight?

She never thought she'd ask herself such a rudimentary question. Whenever Astrid would think of leaving the castle to find work in the kingdom, her mother would tell her that she would find nothing. She would become a beggar, a whore, without a safe place to sleep at night.

_ How would you feel if the sun went down and you had no place to go?_

She had a place to go, two of them, but she didn't know which to choose. Hiccup's bed might be only if he asked her, if he let her, while her parent's room in the castle was always open.

Hiccup's bed. Her parents' room. Neither was hers. Each option relied on someone else.

_ You'd be looking to a different man for a bed each night just to sleep._

Astrid inhaled and closed her eyes. The firelight flickered on the other side of her lids, casting strange shadows in her darkened sight.

The door unlocked and opened. Hiccup walked through looking exhausted.

Astrid stood. "Hiccup!"

He groaned. "They wanted to talk about the ball. Legal babble. Procedure and tradition and all that junk."

He sat on the wrinkle-free bed. Wrinkles and creases webbed out from where he sat. He rubbed his face. He looked at the pajamas, laid out beside him. "I'm exhausted. Bed sounds great."

He stood and lifted his shirt over his head and tossed it to the floor. Astrid caught it and carried it to the hamper. She followed with his discarded pants. Hiccup dressed in his pajamas and headed to the bathroom, then paused in the doorway. He looked back at Astrid.

"You staying here tonight?"

She blinked. "I will if you'd like."

"I'd really like you to," he said. "I'm sure there is something for you to sleep in, unless you'd rather sleep naked, which is fine with me. Your toothbrush is still in here, too."

She crossed the space between them and followed him into his spacious bathroom.


	30. Chapter 30

A/N – I'm powering through this story. I decided to focus in on one story rather than updating each every few weeks like a turn-based thing. This one is older so it gets the first treatment. Until further notice, I probably won't be updating anything else until I get Prince Hiccup finished. And it's either good or bad news that it's nearing the finish line.

BTW – you're all awesome. Thanks for sticking with me and this story this whole time. Or, if you're new to the story, thanks for stopping by. I appreciate it always.

X

**Chapter 30: Second Ball Blues**

The next few days flew by in a dizzy whirl. Preparations for the second ball kept the castle staff busy. The kingdom buzzed with news and gossip. The girls had given interviews to different reporters, whichever they felt like, and their words had been strung all over the kingdom. Astrid knew little of what they said. Hiccup hated the gossip magazines and tabloids.

Astrid had an inkling that his dislike of them had much to do with how they viewed her.

There seemed to be a rumor going around through the kingdom's endless grapevine that Hiccup had already picked a bride. The opposing gossip that he had opted for a third round of dates shook that theory and kept the gossip-feeders on their toes.

The ball's countdown encroached, as the Queen reminded Hiccup several times a day. The morning of the ball, the entire castle buzzed with last minute prep work. Food sizzled in the kitchens, decorations were given final tweaks, the girls closed themselves in their rooms to ready themselves, and the Queen oversaw it all like a hawk, flying faster than any bird ever had, seeming to be in many places at once.

"She's so well organized," Astrid said to Hiccup during his quiet breakfast in one of the lounges. She sat in an armchair beside him, taking bites from his plate and sips from his coffee cup. She was not allowed her own.

Hiccup hummed with his mouth full, indicating a question.

"Your mother," Astrid said. "Look at all that she's doing today. I don't know how she can keep it all straight."

Hiccup chewed slowly, then swallowed. "Practice. And if she's not in charge of it she freaks out. Doesn't think anyone else could do her job as well."

After breakfast, Hiccup and Astrid walked down to the Grand Ballroom to see the decorations before the ceremony that evening. Gold and red banners hung along the walls, the armor had been shined to a gleam, and tables stood about the room in a perfect semi-circle, tablecloths clean and even, lined with immaculate silverware. The king's table stood above it all, several steps higher, where all could see it. Everything revolved around the dance floor, on which the tiled floor's pattern came together in a sunburst.

The staff shooed them out to finish the small touches and they retreated back to his room at a leisurely pace. Hiccup kept looking this way and that, down corridors and eyeing the patrolling guards.

"Is everything okay?" Astrid finally asked, touching his arm.

"What? Oh, yeah," Hiccup said, nodding quickly.

They turned into the corridor of his room and two people stood beside his bedroom door. Astrid recognized one of them, Gobber, the stout man who oversaw the servants'. She'd never seen the other woman before, tall, thin, with fingers like needles. Her nails were painted bright green. She clutched a long bag in her arm and a leather case in the other.

"Ah, there he is," Gobber said. He dropped a set of keys he'd been holding. "I was just about to let her in."

"Thank you, Gobber," Hiccup said. He dropped his voice. "Did anyone see you?"

"If they did they were painted on the wall," Gobber said. He shook his head. "We were practically invisible. I told you I knew ways out of this castle that no one else knew. Not even Stoick."

"That's nice, but we need to get started," Hiccup said.

Hiccup let the woman into his bedroom and she entered without hesitation. Gobber remained in the hall while Astrid and Hiccup followed, then came into the room. He shut and locked the door behind him.

"Do you know how long this will take?" Hiccup asked the woman.

The woman laid the bag on the bed and set her leather case beside it. She spoke in an even, feminine tone, "It depends on how much work the dress will need. It this her?"

Astrid blinked; the woman pointed at her.

"Yes, this is Astrid," Hiccup said.

The woman took quick steps toward Astrid, who then took several steps back. She raised her hand between the woman and herself.

"What?" Astrid said.

The woman circled her, hand on her chin. "She might not need anything done. She has a nice figure."

"Excuse me?" Astrid said, emphasizing her dislike of the confusion.

Hiccup shook his head, groaning. "I'm sorry, I didn't explain. Astrid, this is Camille. She's one of the finest seamstresses in Berk."

"Okay," Astrid said, as Camille lifted Astrid's arm and fitted a marked strap around her bicep. "And…why is she here?"

Camille lashed out the strap like a whip and threw it around Astrid's waist. She yanked it tight, flush with her body, then released it with a _hum_.

"I wanted it to be a surprise," Hiccup said. He looked at Gobber who shrugged. "I wanted to get you a dress for the ball. It just happened to be more difficult than I thought, because no one can get into the castle without everyone in the castle knowing about it."

"That's where I come in," Gobber said, pointing to himself.

"Gobber agreed to help me sneak Camille in and out so no one would have to know about it," Hiccup said. "Mostly my mom, but it's no one else's business either."

"It should fit like a glove," Camille said at last, wearing her marked strap around her shoulders. She walked to the long bag and unfolded its dense material. She pulled out a hanger on which hung a lovely red dress. The soft material flowed away from a fitted bodice. No gaudy patterns or lace or pleats marred its simple beauty.

Camille shooed Hiccup and Gobber onto the other side of the room, blocked by the bed's drawn curtains. Without hesitation she helped Astrid out of her servants' clothes and tossed them onto the floor like rags. She held the red dress over Astrid's head and wormed it over her.

"There," Camille said, tugging here and there on the dress to secure the best fit. "Like a glove."

Astrid turned around to look at herself in the bathroom mirror. The dress fit her, hugged her body without being too tight or showing things that she'd rather not show.

Hiccup came around the bed and his eyes fell onto Astrid, then onto her reflection. "Wow…you look amazing. What do you think?"

"It's incredible," she said, eyeing the woman standing where she should be in the mirror. "Hiccup…thank you."

He smiled. He blushed, held onto his neck for support, and took tentative steps toward her. "I wanted to find a dress as beautiful as you, but…well it's a lot harder than I thought. Turns out, there aren't any that nice."

He lifted his hand to her jaw. His entire face flushed a bright red.

"Thank you, Hiccup, I love it," she said. "And you."

He chuckled. "I love you, too. It took me a while to think that line out. I'm glad you liked it. I mean, it took a good couple of days."

Astrid laughed.

X

The ball began and the entire kingdom seemed to appear at the gates. Guests exited their carriages to a set of glamor on the front steps of the castle, ready to be viewed by all and any that stood to gawk at the extravagance. Astrid saw little of the excitement on the outside; she stood behind the king's table like the good servant.

The ballroom buzzed with voices, talking and chattering and filling the space with words and pitches and tones of all sorts. Compared to the natural silence of the castle, such a crowd was dizzying. Jewels glittered in the lights, hung around necks of both women and men, signs of outward wealth and status. Heels clicked on the tile floor and men's shoes sparkled.

Astrid wore shoes the dressmaker had brought, a simple pair of flats. Camille had refused to go until Astrid knew what she would do with her hair; she then preceded to spend an hour working with her long hair, twisting it and braiding it until it looked passible for a ball. Because of the wardrobe change, Astrid felt the renewed stares of many. The servants eyed her with curiosity. The girls eyed her with envy.

The girls were introduced one at a time, with a name, parents or important relatives, and a nonsense statement they chose about themselves. They each stood and waved to the crowd, like the entire event was nothing more than a show, a contest, a game – the winner got the crown.

Astrid hadn't had the adverse reaction to the Matrimonial Congregation until that moment. How could they even pretend that playing for love is not silly game? Futures were on the line; hearts in the way.

The attention shifted to the king's table, which drew attention to Astrid, who stood behind the grand table. She spotted a few people in the crowd point. Many leaned in to whisper to another.

The table filled with royals, including Snotlout and Gobber. The King and Queen entered together to a round of great applause. They took their seats as the man of the hour entered last, wearing a red-brown suit, one of the hand-made outfits that kings wore in paintings. He flashed Astrid a cocky smile as he took his seat.

The ceremony began with drinks and served food. Servants in black floated through the crowd with gleaming trays that flashed in the lights. Astrid had eaten before the ball on purpose. She didn't want her stomach rumbling.

After food, the music signaled the dancing. King Stoick and the Queen took the floor first, moving elegantly in practiced swishes and jaunts. Other guests joined them, couples in love and couples of friends, dancing around the floor. Hiccup, as per custom, danced with each girl in turn. Colored dressed flashed in the light as the women spun, jewels glittered, and the music jotted and jingled in quick-step tunes.

Hiccup danced with each girl, one by one, until he reached the end of the line. He sat down and drank another glass of wine while the dancing continued without him. Eyes followed him wherever he went, his movements, his facial expressions, anything to be used in gossip later.

Hiccup might not have noticed such attention, but Astrid did.

When Hiccup stood again, Astrid expected the ball to come to a close, or him to return to the dance floor. She did not expect him to hold his hand out to her, as he did with the girls. He stood in front of her, hand extended, palm up, slightly bowed at the waist, other arm at his side.

"May I have this dance?" he asked, eyes melting into hers.

Whispers flew up around them, spreading like fire through the ball room. He never faltered.

"Of course," Astrid said, sliding her hand into his.

Hiccup led her out onto the dance floor, between people, through gawkers.

"Don't look at them," Hiccup said once he pulled Astrid in close, arm on her waist, hand in hers, leading her through the dancing paces. "Look at me. We're the only ones here right now."

She held her gaze on his eyes and he did the same to her, breaking contact only to blink. People danced, but not as many. More people watched than before. More people whispered, hissing hysterical words behind hands, exciting the air with new gossip, new ideas, new things to point at, a flash of something happening right before them.

What fun the gossip vines would have tonight – Prince Hiccup dances with his maid-whore at the Grand Ball.

Hiccup leaned in closer to her, breath on her cheek.

Only him, Astrid told herself.

The song came to an end. Hiccup released Astrid from his embrace. He walked away from her and to the podium, from which he would speak. Astrid, suddenly realizing her place in the room, retreated from the center attention and toward the back wall, near where the other servants stood. They watched her, too, like she wore a flashing light above her head.

She chose a shadowed patch of the room, within sight of Hiccup but out of sight of most people. She had just taken a deep breath when several sets of high-heeled footsteps clicked into her space.

"Someone's dressed up," said one of the girls whose name Astrid could not immediately recall. A gaggle of the girls stood behind her, looking forsaken and furious about it. The girl who spoke reached for Astrid's sleeve and yanked on it, rubbing the material between her thumb and forefinger. "I didn't think the help could afford nice clothes."

"You know she didn't buy it," another said, arms crossed.

Hiccup had begun to speak, but Astrid couldn't hear his words.

Another girl scoffed. "Got him buying you things, now?"

"If he marries me," threatened another, "you'll be the first piece of trash I throw out."

Astrid bit down on her tongue. There were many things she could say to these girls, several things she wanted to do, including knock them out or give them a black eye to wear. She held her closed fists at her sides.

"That dress is just baggy enough to hide that gut of yours," the first girl said, poking Astrid in the stomach.

"Pardon?" Astrid asked, speaking at last in her defense. Had they honesty fallen to such childish name-calling as _you're_ _fat_? Laughable.

"Oh, don't play innocent," another girl snapped.

"You sleep in his room."

"You eat off his plate."

"He can't keep his hands off you."

"You've gained weight."

The first girl looked around at her companions, then spat with such vicious spite that Astrid had no words, "You're obviously pregnant."

"I thank you all for showing your support," Hiccup was saying from the podium, eyes on the notes someone else had written for him.

Spitelout trotted over, hand on his guards' belt. "What seems to be the problem, ladies?"

No one spoke at first. Spitelout's beady eyes settled on Astrid. His boots clicked on the floor. "Did I hear that right? You're carrying some extra weight?"

Astrid suddenly felt conscious of her stomach, exposed and vulnerable. She wouldn't mind wearing one of the castle's many suits of armor.

Spitelout stepped forward, in front of her, fist clenched tight. "We can't have that, now."

"Now is the time most of you have been waiting for," Hiccup said from the podium. "I have made my decision. I have chosen a bride."

Whispers filled the Ball Room and broke into chatter.

Spitelout's fist rammed into Astrid's stomach. Gasping for lost air, she collapsed to the floor. None of the girls stood in the way. Pain shot through her entire body, radiating in all directions.

A hush fell over the Ball Room, such as each individual heartbeat rang out like a gong. Feet, a single pair, ran across the floor, running into people, pushing them out of the way. From her place on the floor, Astrid watched Hiccup appear between two of the girls and roughly push them out of his way.

"Astrid?" Hiccup collapsed beside her. He put a hand around her shoulders and heaved her into a sitting position; she winced. Hiccup turned his head and spat, "What the hell happened?"

None of the girls said a word. Spitelout, however, stood proud. "I upheld my duty to protect the royal family, young Prince."

"Bullshit," Hiccup said, his voice a roar in the silent room.

"She's pregnant," one of the girls said, who quickly looked down when Hiccup looked in her direction.

"That's what this is about?" Hiccup half-laughed. "Are you that caught up in your own pity and jealousy that you'd attack her? None of you brainless bitches are worth a portion of her. Get out. All of you."

"But, Hiccup," one of the girls tried to plea.

"Get out!" Hiccup shouted, his voice echoing in the silent hall.

Stoick stepped into the commotion, ordering guards between the crowd and the scene in his booming voice that rattled the fragile chandelier. Shuffling feet, stomping in unison, walled in front of the crowd and pushed peopled in behind it.

Hiccup didn't stay to listen. He lifted Astrid in his arms and made for the first room out of the Ball Room, a lounge nearby. Spitelout followed at a pace.

"If that girl was with your child," he said, "It would have caused quite the ruckus."

"Shut up," Hiccup sat. He sat Astrid down on the couch. He turned to Spitelout and held a finger toward him. "If harm has been done to Astrid, you're gone. When I become King, you will be the first to go. I promise you that. Now get out."


	31. Chapter 31

A/N – We're nearing the end. Can you feel it? I can. It tingles like that weird gum. But all over. Mostly in my head, in this space between by frontal lobe and the top of my neck. The doctor said that was normal.

Anyway – thank you all for sticking with this story, and me, and being in general just all around awesome. Really. I broke five hundred reviews with that last chapter and that's awesome! I have you all to thank, because without any of you I'd just be shouting at my screen.

X

**Chapter 31: New Horizons**

She might have blacked out; she remembered little between Spitelout's fist to her gut and waking up in a quiet lounge with Hiccup kneeling down beside her. He held onto her hand, fingers intertwined with hers.

"Are you alright?" Hiccup said upon meeting her gaze.

"Yeah," Astrid nodded. She tried to sit up, but winced. "Maybe not."

"Lie down," Hiccup told her. He placed a hand on her shoulder. His eyes fell to her stomach. "Astrid, tell me, are you…I mean…you could be, but I thought we were careful."

"I-I'm not pregnant," Astrid said. His gaze shot to hers. "I don't think I am, anyway."

He shook his head. That was not the answer he'd wanted.

"I took a pill once, a while ago," Astrid hesitated. "It was after you didn't…you know. I asked my mother for it. She got it and gave it to me. I don't know where she got it or if someone saw or overheard. Someone might have and just assumed the worst."

The door to the lounge burst open. Hiccup turned to the door with renewed anger, ready to threaten whoever dared enter, but no words came from his mouth upon seeing the two servants – Astrid's parents.

"My baby," Ingrid gasped. She ignored Hiccup entirely and collapsed beside the couch, grabbing Astrid's free hand.

"What the hell happened?" Alistair demanded.

Hiccup let go of Astrid's hand and stood, face to face with her father. Astrid tried to get up to intervene, to mediate, to do something, but her mother held her down on the couch with a look that told her to not move, to let the boys fight it out. The confrontation had been bubbling, Astrid felt it for a while, but wished it would never arrive.

"Spitelout punched her," Hiccup explained to Alistair.

"And why would he have done that?" Alistair said, talking down to Hiccup like a servant boy who'd done wrong.

Hiccup hesitated. He shuffled his feet. He answered calmly, albeit nervously, "One of the girls accused her of being pregnant."

"Is she?" Alistair asked.

"I don't know," Hiccup answered. "I didn't know anything about it before right now."

Ingrid looked at Astrid with that motherly contempt, a silent I-told-you-so face. Astrid nodded.

"Could she be?" Alistair asked.

Hiccup didn't answer. He didn't have to. The air tensed, thickened with the confirmation of the assumption that Hiccup had slept with their daughter.

The door to the lounge opened for a second time. Astrid heard the voice before she saw the man.

"What happened?" Stoick barked, letting the door fall behind him.

In a few quick breaths, Hiccup explained to his father the preceding events.

Stoick groaned. "Fine. I'll deal with Spitelout later. Right now the Ball is a grand mess. They'll be talking about it for decades."

"Can we talk about how I messed up later?" Hiccup asked. He motioned toward Astrid.

"Right," Stoick said with a great sigh. "I'll send word to the healer. Then you and I need to have a talk."

"Great," Hiccup said as his father departed. "I can't wait."

X

Stoick returned in due time with the castle's esteemed healer right behind. Gothi was a shriveled woman of old age, more a fixture of the castle than a resident. She had been there as long as Hiccup could remember, but never aged. Gothi shooed Hiccup away from Astrid's side and knelt, although she was short enough that she didn't need to bend that far.

"Hiccup," Stoick barked, motioning for his son to follow through an adjoining door. "Come."

Hiccup gave Astrid a woeful glance before leaving her in the care of Gothi and her parents. He followed his father through the door, into a smaller guest room.

"Why do we have so many guest rooms?" Hiccup asked while closing the door. "We don't have that many guests, ever."

"Son, sit down," Stoick said, softer. He sat on the lounge chair and motioned for Hiccup to take the wide bed.

Hiccup sighed and did as his father instructed. Might as well get his lecture over with. "I know what you're going to say, Dad."

"You do?" Stoick raised a brow.

"That I messed up, that I shouldn't have let my anger get away from me, how all those girls' parents are going to be furious at me, and a number of things similar to those. Mostly of me messing up in public and making the royal family look bad," Hiccup said, counting those which he'd heard before.

"Ah, I see," Stoick said, nodding. He clasped his large hands together. "Then I can skip that part and jump right into the important part."

"You mean there's more to that one?" Hiccup asked, half-joking. "You always stop right after the 'you're making us look bad' part."

Stoick sighed. "This is another matter, Hiccup, important for you to know. But first, I must ask you: is she pregnant?"

"I don't know," Hiccup said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Either way, Gothi will know when she is done," Stoick said softly, as to not let his voice drift through the door. "Or if she was."

"Thanks to Spitelout," Hiccup added. "You know, if she was pregnant, Spitelout could be tried for murder. Killing a royal, that's a stiff punishment. Death or at least imprisonment for life, I'd say."

Stoick nodded, although he didn't agree verbally. "Hiccup, I need you to listen to me before you speak. Can you do that?"

Hiccup shrugged wordlessly.

"Do you love that girl?"

"Astrid?" Hiccup asked.

Stoick nodded.

"Of course," Hiccup answered. "I'd marry her if I could. I'd rather marry her than any of those…women." Stoick raised a brow and Hiccup saw his chance. "Dad, I can't talk to them, it's like they've got nothing in their heads besides looking pretty and being important in front of other people. Astrid is different. I can speak to her and she talks back; she's intelligent. And…she loves me for me, not just for a title she might get."

Hiccup buried his face in his hands. It burned against his palms. It felt more than odd to explain himself to his father.

"I guess you wouldn't understand," Hiccup said. He threw his arm in the direction of the Ball Room. "You married that monster out there."

"Not by choice," Stoick said quietly.

Hiccup looked back at his father. He'd never seen him so flustered before, forlorn, aged. He looked down at his large hands with heavy weights behind his eyes, dragging down circles and wrinkles that hadn't been there before.

"Now is when I need you to listen, Son, without interrupting," Stoick said. He took a deep inhale. "My wife, the Queen, was not my first choice. She was the daughter of my father's advisor and a very smart match, legally. When I went through my Matrimonial Congregation, everyone pushed us together. It was a nightmare.

"Before her, there was another woman in my life. This is the important part, Hiccup. That woman was a servant in the castle, a lovely soul, bright and smart, like no one else I'd met or have met since. I would have gladly married her instead, but I couldn't. When I married the Queen, I was forced to banish her from the castle."

Stoick paused and in that hesitation Hiccup spoke up, voice small, "And you expect me to make the same decision that you did? To banish her to some forsaken corner of the kingdom?"

"No," Stoick said quickly, his voice louder than he wanted it to be. "Son, there is more you need to know."

"What?" Hiccup threw his hands into the air. "That it doesn't matter how I feel? That I should marry some idiot that only cares about shoes instead of someone I actually like? I can't spend the rest of my life chained to someone just like my mother." Hiccup rose to his feet. "I won't. I'd rather be alone than be with a woman like her. I can't stand her. I don't see how you could have possible chosen her. I can barely stand being related to her."

"Hiccup," Stoick said sternly, a tone to shush him. "The Queen is not your mother."

Whatever dagger he'd had at the ready vanished. The air stilled. His heart thumped in his chest, skipped a beat, and thumped harder.

"What?" Hiccup asked when the world shifted back in itself.

Stoick heaved a sigh. "The Queen, my wife, is not your mother."

Hiccup shook his head, mouth open, but no words came out immediately. "How? I-I mean what...huh?"

Stoick looked down at this hands. "When we married, we tried for children. As fate would have it, the Queen couldn't have children. You mother was the servant girl I told you about."

Hiccup blinked. Memories of a nursemaid, a brown-haired woman holding him in her arms came flooding back. "What? Then why didn't you let her stay?"

"The Queen refused it. Jealousy, I think, of my feelings for another woman, the prince's fondness for the same woman. She hated it."

"So you banished her? Just like that?"

"She raised you until you began to speak. You called her mother, or the baby's version of the word, and the Queen hated it," Stoick said. He rubbed his temples. "It broke my heart to send her away, Son. Not a day's gone by that I don't regret it. I didn't send her empty handed. I secured a job and send money each month so she could live comfortably. I see her now and then, but your moth- the Queen doesn't know it. She would have a fit if she knew."

"Who cares what the Queen thinks?" Hiccup pleaded. "Bring my real mother back home and kick that bitch out."

Stoick put his hands up. "Calm yourself, Hiccup. You know I can't do that."

"Why not? You're the King."

"I am, but I can't abuse my powers like that."

"It's not abuse," Hiccup argued. "You can change the laws to be more fair to us. Why should we have to marry someone we don't love and banish those that we do? It's not fair."

"And what would you change?" Stoick said, motioning toward his son.

"I don't know," Hiccup started. "The marriage rule, for starters. I should be able to marry whoever I want, or not marry at all."

"What about the Queen's position? She oversees much and is an essential part of the kingdom's functioning," Stoick argued.

"Then I'll pick someone to be Queen. They can be…what's the word, appointed instead of married to the King." Hiccup fiddled with a clasp on his over-zealous outfit.

Stoick didn't say anything for a moment, and considered his son with his hand on his chin. "You've given this solution thought?"

"A bit," Hiccup said.

"And when you said earlier this evening that you had chosen a bride?"

Hiccup opened his mouth to admit his answer when a knock on the door interrupted any further conversation. Gothi entered, her shriveled hand on the doorknob.

"She's alright?" Hiccup asked, jumping up from his seat.

Gothi nodded, a gentle smile on her pale lips. Hiccup returned to the other room where Astrid lay on the bed. Her dress scrunched up underneath her and she smoothed wrinkles out above her knee.

"Astrid," Hiccup said, going to her side. She jumped. "Everything alright?"

"I'm not pregnant," Astrid said quietly. Red flushed her cheeks. "Not now or ever have I been. Gothi double-checked."

Astrid pressed her knees together and it took Hiccup a moment to realize the implications of her words.

Hiccup cleared his throat. "Well, that's good, I suppose. What about everything else?"

"Just a little bruised," she said.

Ingrid, her mother, appeared beside her. "She will need to take it easy for a while."

"Right," Hiccup nodded. "No heavy lifting."

Ingrid looked over her shoulder at Hiccup and quickly looked away.

"The entire kingdom is bound to be in an uproar," Ingrid said almost conversationally, although a bit strained, as though his presence unsettled her. She tucked a loose strand of Astrid's hair behind her ear.

"Probably," Hiccup said. "But, on the bright side, I've got an adventure to take both of us away from the madness for a while."

Ingrid and Astrid turned their gaze on him, and for the first time Hiccup saw the spooky resemblance between the two women, the look of their eye, the turn of their brow, the concentration and determination.

"You said no heavy lifting," Astrid said.

Hiccup chuckled. "Don't worry, it's not that sort of adventure. It's a visit."

Stoick entered the room again and confirmed from Gothi Astrid's stable condition. She prescribed rest. Astrid stayed in the lounge until the Ball Room crowd had cleared and the celebration officially came to an end. Astrid refused to be carried and so she walked, slowly, with Hiccup on one side and her mother on the other.

They entered the corridor of Hiccup's bedroom and his heart jumped. What did her mother think of taking her daughter to his room?

They came to the door and hesitated. Ingrid cupped her daughter's face. "You need anything from the house?"

"No," Astrid said. "But thanks, Mom."

Ingrid let go of Astrid and turned her attention to Hiccup. Her eyes turned into fireballs, smoldering into his flesh. Ingrid, ignoring laws, grabbed hold of his upper arm.

"Don't worry, Ma'am," Hiccup said, feeling the circulation losing flow to his elbow. "She's safe with me. I promise."

"She better be," Ingrid said lowly, though Astrid heard every word. She watched the exchange with wide eyes and flinching fingers. "If anything happens to her, it's on your head."

Hiccup nodded. "I understand."

Ingrid let go of his arm. She gave Astrid one last look and retreated down the corridor. Hiccup opened the door for Astrid and closed it behind them, locking it. Astrid walked over to his bed and sat down.

Hiccup leaned against the door and heaved a great sigh of relief. "I think that went well. I think your parents like me."

Astrid smiled and slipped off her low-heeled shoes. She lifted her legs to the bed. Her red dress clashed with the red silk sheets.

"So what's this adventure you've got planned?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup chuckled. "You're not going to believe this."

"Try me," Astrid said. "I've been through some wild stories already that I wouldn't believe unless I lived them. You, for instance."

Hiccup paced while he retold the story his father had told him.

"We're going to visit your real mother?" Astrid asked at the end, each word spaced from the next, eyes wide and mouth gapping.

"Yes," Hiccup nodded. "Dad told me that she lives a half day's travel from here, inland. She works at a vineyard out there. The vineyard that makes my favorite wine, actually. How's that for coincidence?"

Astrid smiled. "You're excited."

"Of course I am," Hiccup said, resuming his pacing. His mind reeled with the news. Everything seemed bright. "I mean, all this time, the nursemaid I remembered was actually my mother. I'm not related to the Queen at all. And…Dad understands. He loves my mother, he told me as much, and he regrets not marrying her. He understands how I feel about you."

Astrid smiles. "He reminds me of you, sometimes, and you remind me of him. You're more alike than you think."

Hiccup shrugged. Maybe.

"When do we leave?" Astrid asked.

"How soon do you think you'll be alright to travel? We'll take a carriage the entire way," Hiccup said, eyeing her prone on the bed.

"Any time," she said. She shifted and winced.

"Tomorrow, maybe," Hiccup said. He stepped toward the wardrobe and began to unbutton his heavy coat.

"Maybe," Astrid said.

Hiccup returned the coat to its hanger and reached for the buckle of his pants. He wiggled his boots off his feet and pushed the pants down his legs. He stood, hung the pants in the closet beside the coat, and happen to glance back at Astrid. She watched him with her bottom lip drawn between her teeth.

"What?" he asked, suddenly aware that he stood in front of her in his underwear. Not a crime after what they had done.

"You're also unintentionally attractive," Astrid said, eyeing his frame shamelessly.

Hiccup chuckled and looked down at his thin, knobby knees and legs. His twig arms weren't much better. He flexed his arm and puffed up what muscle he had. Disappointed yet again, he dropped his arm. "Did Spitelout hit you harder than I thought?"

Astrid smiled and laughed again, a strained laugh. She held a hand on her stomach. "You've also got a humble side. I like it."

He blushed. "I-I'll remember to bring that out more. But…uh, seriously, you find all this," he motioned to himself, "attractive?"

She grinned. "Of course."

"Uh…how?"

"You're skinny, I won't lie, but who you are on the inside makes the outside attractive," she said, head on the pillow. "You're attractive because you're you. I'd still think you were cute if you had three hundred pounds of muscle. Of course, I've never been into those super-macho types. No, I take that back. I'd be a little less attracted to you if you were just a giant muscle."

"Like Snotlout?"

"Snotlout could be the most handsome, well-built, wealthy, and gifted in the man parts," Astrid said with a straight face. "And I still wouldn't touch him with a twenty-foot pole. His insides are hideous, which makes him hideous regardless."

Hiccup laughed, and climbed onto the bed beside her in his underwear. "I like your logic."


	32. Chapter 32

A/N – I did not think or imagine that this story would be this long. It just kept going. That happens. Stories that I think will take some words end up being short. Stories that I think will be a few chapters long end up being ridiculous.

X

**Chapter 32 **

Astrid took a deep breath as Gothi instructed. She stretched her midsection and lungs with the inhale, holding it until Gothi nodded. She fixed her stare on the drapes of Hiccup's tall bed as Gothi poked and prodded.

"It doesn't hurt," Astrid said.

The shriveled old woman held onto Astrid's hand and silently instructed her to repeat the exercise. She did. Upon the release of her breath, she felt a slight cringe of pain, but held her face straight. It didn't matter. It was like Gothi could sense her pain, like those sharp eyes could see right through her and read her thoughts before she thought them.

Hiccup paced on the other side of the room, his room, hand on his chin. He wore simple traveling clothes, a white shirt and khaki trousers, and a handsome pair of leather boots. It looked good on him. Not as good as his green suit, but good. He'd already packed a single bag that rested beside the door.

"I'm fine," Astrid said to Gothi. "Really."

Gothi eyed her suspiciously.

"I won't be doing anything strenuous, anyway," she said.

Gothi shook her head, then nodded.

"Thank you," Astrid said.

The little woman gathered her few things and returned them to her medical bag, then left. Hiccup bounced on the balls of his feet. He'd talked nonstop about visiting his mother, and their trip's date depended on Gothi's approval of Astrid's health.

Astrid sat up and swung her legs over the bedside. "So, when do we leave?"

"As soon as you're ready," Hiccup said. "I can call and have the carriage ready in less than an hour."

Astrid stood. Hiccup had clothes bought up for her, traveling clothes fit for a woman. She changed out of her servant's dress and into the finer material, soft and breathable. She stepped into a pair of fine leather boots, shined and sturdy. She saw herself in the mirror. Even in these fine materials, it looked less than royal. Still, these clothes were above the average person's grasp.

"Ready?" Hiccup asked, waiting impatiently by the door, suitcase in hand.

Astrid smiled and nodded, and followed him into the corridor beyond.

Hiccup had talked nonstop about meeting his mother since he found out about her. Stoick made him promise to keep the secret to himself. The Queen would be furious if she knew Hiccup knew, of course Hiccup refused to care about what the Queen thought. He had been bouncing on his heels nearly all week, waiting for Astrid to be ready to travel.

The carriage waited behind the castle, in the private drive, with no one to stand and gawk other than Gobber. He stood talking to the stable hand.

"Gobber?" Hiccup asked. "What are you doing here?"

Gobber turned and grinned, waving away the stable hand. He secured a driver's cap on his head. "I'm your chaperone."

"Seriously?" Hiccup frowned.

Gobber laughed. He looked to see that the stable hand had gone, then leaned in closer to Hiccup. "No one else knows where you're going. Stoick wants to keep it that way."

"Ah," Hiccup said, nodding. "Right. Always a secret."

"Anyway, we've got a bit of a drive ahead, so hop in!" Gobber opened the carriage door and bowed the two of them inside with a dramatic sweep of his arm.

Astrid climbed inside first, and then Hiccup, while Gobber secured the suitcase into the luggage compartment. The carriage door shut and Gobber whistled as he climbed onto the driver's seat. The horses started off at a trot, then quickened. The curtain of the window remained closed until they'd ridden for nearly an hour. Hiccup whisked it away.

The Royal Grounds rose into a thick forest on one side and a swaying field of golden wheat on the other. The agricultural side of Berk stretched over the flat land, farm houses and large barns dotting the scenery.

At long last, they arrived at a modest winery tucked in a thicket of trees. The air smelled of fruit and fermentation. The carriage came to a stop and Gobber hurried to open the carriage door.

Hiccup fumbled over his own feet as he climbed out.

"Easy," Gobber said. "She's not going anywhere."

Astrid followed Hiccup onto a dirt path. The winery had a series of cottages inside a low fence, each looked to be about the size of his bedroom, with varying exteriors. One had a large rose bush, while another had lavender sprouts, while another still had no flowers at all, instead a birdbath. Gobber walked past them, and motioned them to follow. He led them along the dirt path connecting the cottages to one that look no different from the others.

Green herbs grew in a window box. Gobber stepped up to the door and knocked three times, quickly.

Hiccup grabbed onto Astrid's hand. She jumped at first, but gave him a squeeze. His breaths came quick and shallow and he looked pale.

The knob turned, but Gobber stood in the way.

"Hey there, long time no see," Gobber said.

"Gobber?" a sweet, feminine voice asked.

"You've got a visitor," Gobber said. He stepped off the porch.

A brown-haired woman stood in the doorway with pale blue-green eyes. Her gaze settled on Hiccup and she clasped onto the doorframe.

"Hiccup?" she asked, breathless. She shook her head and turned to Gobber. "But, I thought…"

Gobber shrugged.

"Mom?" Hiccup asked. He let go of Astrid and took a tentative step onto the porch.

Astrid could barely believe the shocking resemblance between the two of them. Hiccup's face and hers shared cheekbones, brows, and expressions. Her look of disbelief mirrored Hiccup's: lips parted, eyes wide, a gentle shake of the head.

"Can it be?" she asked, stretching out her hand to Hiccup. She retracted it before she touched him. "How is this possible?"

"I think it's best we talk inside," Gobber said, motioning them through the doorway.

She nodded, and stepped aside, holding the door to her cottage for the three of them. She shut it promptly behind them.

The inside shared the exterior's modesty. The small space combined a hearth room, bedroom, and a small kitchen. Two doors led elsewhere. One door stood open and looked into a small closet. The other, Astrid assumed, led to a bathroom. It smelled of herbs, from the rosemary growing in a pot under the kitchen window, and burning wood from the hearth.

"Valka," Gobber said. "Sorry to drop in unannounced like this. Hiccup here is getting married."

"I've heard," she said.

Valka lingered at the door as they sat in the minimal seating; Gobber and Astrid sat on the large bench against the wall; Hiccup stood, fidgeting. His mother sat on the edge of her narrow, quilt-covered bed.

"You're my mother?" Hiccup asked, throwing his arms out, fingertips just missing a vase on the mantle.

Valka looked at him, startled, then looked to the floor as she nodded. "That I am."

Hiccup stared at her, unblinking. "I don't understand. Why leave? Why not tell me?"

Valka heaved a great sigh. "Your father thought it best not to confused you with secrets. Very few people even knew that I bore you. If word were to get out that the Prince was born outside the royal marriage, dozens of 'princes' would pop up in the kingdom, claiming royalty."

"That's ridiculous," Hiccup spat.

"That is what I thought, too," she said. "Your father was not the type."

"Then why not come out with it now?" Hiccup asked.

Gobber coughed. Valka looked at him and then at Hiccup. Without shame she asked him, "Can you say the same for yourself?"

Hiccup blinked. "What?"

"I've heard about you, Hiccup. If word spread today that you were born out of wedlock, how many women would come to the castle with a child, claiming you the father? How many of those women would have an honest claim?"

"Very few," Hiccup said. He balled his fists. "The gossip magazines inflated most of those stories. More than half of the women that claim I slept with them are liars."

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Astrid spied a glance at Gobber, who looked as uneasy as she felt. Hiccup and Valka stared at each other with the same determination, the fiery ambition to win their argument, to prove their side's righteousness.

"Then who is this then?" Valka waved a hand toward Astrid. For a moment her pale blue-green eyes fell on her. Astrid wanted to shrink back into the bench.

"Astrid," Hiccup said.

"Yes, that was her name," Valka said, nodding. The fire in her eyes dimmed. "Your father told me about her on his last visit. Your nursemaid turned lover."

"Dad said you were a servant," Hiccup said. "How is Astrid any different?"

Valka sighed. Her eyes fell onto the quilt she sat on. "I suppose, in many ways, she's not. I grew up in the castle. I knew Stoick all my life. He was the Prince, the future King, and I was a lowly servant destined to dust, scrub, and wash until death. I can't say what bought him to me. He always made a purpose to speak, to say hello, and once in a while would sneak sweets to me.

"We grew up and grew closer. When it was discovered that his wife could not have children, he sought me out. I agreed, thinking that a child would keep us together, but it had the opposite effect. His wife hated me deeply, despised me enough to go out of her way to remind me of that hatred."

"Sounds like her," Hiccup scoffed.

"Your father arranged this job here for me, and this house," Valka said. Heartbreak shook her voice. A thin watery line etched into her eyes. "It is better than scrubbing floors, but I wish I could see him more often. And, I wish I could have watched my son grow up myself, instead of watching through magazines and gossip."

"Mom," Hiccup started, halted at the word. "I, uh, would have liked to have you there, too. The Queen was a horrible mother figure."

Valka smiled, a light chuckle left her lips. "Yes, your father has told me as much. I know it isn't much, but please, stay for dinner. I'm not the world's greatest cook, but I think I'll manage."

"Oh, I'll help," Gobber said, standing quickly. "It's…uh, been a while since the cooks let me into the kitchen."

"Of course," Valka said, laughing.

Valka and Gobber walked the short distance into the kitchen area and Hiccup took Gobber's seat on the wooden bench. Astrid reached for his arm at once.

"Are you alright?" she asked quietly.

He sighed. "I don't know. Yes and no."

Valka laughed; Gobber pulled out pans from the cabinet. Neither paid attention to the two of them.

"She's my mother, Astrid," he said, looking at Valka. "My father loved her and yet he sent her here. It's not fair for either of them. It's not fair to anyone. My father banished the woman he loved. My mother lives here alone. Even the Queen married a man that's in love with someone else. No one wins."

Astrid stroked his hand. "You'll fix it."

"I want to," he said. "I just don't know how. Every time I think I have a solution, I've forgotten something that tears it apart. It's like all the history and tradition is made unfair to royal family."

Astrid intertwined her fingers with his. He squeezed her hand.

"I don't understand how the kingdom doesn't understand," he said. "If they get to decided who I marry, then I should decide who marries who out there. It's not a game they get to play, it's my life. It's not fair."

"Did someone say that it was?" Astrid asked.

Hiccup sighed again and closed his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose. "Astrid, I have to tell you something."

"Okay," she said, ready for anything.

"I was going to pick Heather."

"What?" That hadn't been expected. "But I thought you didn't like her. You said she was just like the Queen."

"She is," Hiccup said. "Manipulative, crafty, mean. But she said that she didn't care if I had you, if I loved you, or if you had my children. She said she knew how to be Queen. She knew the important people in the kingdom and how to deal with them. She…didn't care who slept in my bed."

"And you thought the three of us could live happily ever after?" Astrid asked. Heather would be Queen and Astrid would be the King's favorite concubine.

"Or," Hiccup nodded, "at least two of us would."

"Did you tell anyone else?"

"I told Dad," Hiccup said. "Before we left. I told him if he really wanted me to throw my life away like he did, go ahead and tell Heather she won."

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled."

Hiccup shrugged. "Probably. With any luck, we'd never see her."

Astrid bit into her lip, then spoke, "You know, she's right. She knows how to be Queen. Your mother does a lot, organizes, sponsors, and oversees a lot in the kingdom. I wouldn't be able to just jump in and take over. Heather would. She knows how it all works. As much as I hate to admit, but the nobles of Berk would never take me seriously."

Hiccup sighed. "Probably not."

"Hiccup," Astrid said, hand on his. "I think Heather would be a better choice for Queen."

He stared at her.

"Not for you, of course, but for Queen, yes. If we were fighting over just you, I'd have killed them all weeks ago."

Hiccup laughed. "And hidden their bodies in the dirty clothes?"

"No, probably storage," Astrid said. "The servants keep on top of the laundry. Storage however, some of it is only seen maybe once every few years. No one would want to linger long enough to find a body."

He laughed and kissed her. "You're scary sometimes."

"And don't you forget it."

Dinner came in a curious casserole of noodles and of what Gobber announced as pork, although it looked much too dark. It tasted simple, nothing special or worthy of a royal dinner, but it filled and satisfied. As the sun set, the four of them talked. Gobber and Valka retold their younger days as children in the castle, detailing her years with Stoick. Hiccup told his mother, with additions from Astrid and Gobber, of how he came to know Astrid.

"Sounds like you deserved to be slapped," Valka said with a warm laugh. The fire of the hearth lit her face.

Hiccup half-laughed. "I-I guess."

Astrid laughed alongside him. She held onto Hiccup's arm. "You did."

"I thought that not punishing Astrid like the Queen wanted would make me look good to the girls, and it did," Hiccup said, and he dove back into the tale.

The sun had been gone a while when yawning interrupted the talking.

"Will you stay the night?" Valka asked.

"No," Gobber said before Hiccup could respond. "This way we'll arrive at the castle after dark. No one to see us coming."

At the door, Valka reached for Hiccup and again retracted her hand. "It was nice to see you, Son. I thought I'd die before I would meet you."

"I'm glad I met you, Mom," Hiccup said. "I'm even more glad to know that I'm not related to the Queen at all. To be honest, I like you a lot more."

Valka's eyes glistened. She touched Hiccup's hair, and when he didn't move away, she pulled him into an embrace. He hugged her back. They parted, and Valka reached for Astrid's arm. She said nothing, but gave her an affectionate squeeze and a sorrowful glance.

"Be seeing you," Gobber said. He was first through the door.

"Bye, Mom," Hiccup said.

"Goodbye," Valka said. She stood at the door as they departed from her home, and watched until they returned to the dirt path outside. The door gently shut.


	33. Chapter 33

A/N – This is the second to last chapter, team. Is that crazy? Or overdue? Either way, thank you all so much for sticking with me and this story for this long. It's not been a smooth ride – inconsistent on my part – but overall fun to write. Each and every one of you make writing worth it. In the end, reading and writing is about entertainment, spreading happiness, and making people smile. To me, it is. So, thank you!

X

**Chapter 33**

Hiccup came out of the bathroom in his every day clothes. He ran a hand through his wet hair. "Okay, here's the thing. While I'm in this meeting with Dad, you get to hang out with Heather."

"What?" Astrid asked, nearing dropping the clothes that she folded. She turned on her heels to Hiccup. He conveniently looked elsewhere.

"Heather's having a meeting of her own," Hiccup said. "She didn't give me any details, but she wants you to be there."

"No," Astrid said. She set the folded clothes into the drawer.

"It's not…really up for debate," Hiccup said. He shuffled on his feet. "I mean, I would gladly not make you go, but…"

"No," Astrid said again. "It's a horrible idea."

"I know that," Hiccup said with a nod. "But Heather requested you by name."

"I don't care," Astrid said. "I'm not spending time with her."

He sighed and slumped his shoulders forward. "Astrid, please, she's not going away."

Astrid struck upon those words like a bare foot on rough stone. Hiccup caught her stare, blinked, and looked away.

"I mean, she is…kind of…going to be Queen."

What to say to that? Astrid held her stare on him. He looked up several times but never held her stare.

"So you decided," she said.

He shrugged.

She turned around to the dresser top, pretending to fuss over the knickknacks, sweeping invisible dust to the floor. He'd picked Heather. She would be his wife. That would make Astrid the whore in the castle, the King's concubine.

After a moment of thick silence, she said, "I thought you were going to talk to your dad."

"I was. Am." Hiccup shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "It's just…he's not to enthusiastic about the idea. I mean, you said you wouldn't want to be Queen."

Astrid swallowed. "I did say that."

She didn't want to be Queen, or in charge, or anything of the sort. She wanted Hiccup, his love, his attention, and she did not want to share it with anyone else. She wanted to be seen as more than his bed-warmer.

"Astrid," Hiccup said, taking a step toward her. "This doesn't mean I'm throwing you out. I won't exile you to some god-forsaken corner of the kingdom. I promise. It's just…a political thing."

"A show," she said, finishing his thought.

"Yeah."

"It's all just a show," she said. She stalked to the window and pointed, and put on an airy tone, "Look kids, there's the King and Queen, don't they look happy? They the sight. Oh, look, there's the King's whore. Highest paid hooker in Berk."

"Astrid, stop it," Hiccup said. "That's not…"

"True?" Astrid chewed on this words. "I know exactly how the people out there see me. The things they call me."

"But they're not true," he tried to intervene.

"It doesn't matter," she said. "It's just a _show_. It doesn't matter what it _is_, as long as it looks good."

"Astrid, you're not being fair."

"Fair? You want to talk about things not being fair?" Astrid pointed a finger at his chest. "Everyone in the kingdom knows my face and my name. I can't leave. I won't survive out there. Everyone in the castle avoids me. The servants won't even speak to me anymore. They talk about me. They point. They say worse things than the kingdom, and my mother gets to hear it all. If I complain, it's my fault. I'll get thrown out. You complain about your life not being fair while you sit in your silk clothes and eat food most people can't even dream of."

"Astrid," Hiccup said, forceful in tone. "Stop it."

Water welled behind her eyes, hot and salty. Hiccup's angry glare settled into her throat, blocking off the air.

Again, she'd let her mouth run away with her. She hung her head, bit down on her pride, and hugged herself. He was the Prince, entitled to complain. "I'm sorry."

Hiccup came to stand in front of her. "I'm sorry, too, but there's nothing I can do about it right now. I'm not planning this wedding. It's being planned for me, by a committee. I'd much rather marry you."

"And yet you send me to spend the day with your wife to be," Astrid said.

"It's not the day, just the morning," he said with a sigh.

She glanced up at him. "How can you even be thinking about her? After everything that you said to me."

He sighed again and said flatly, "I'm not thinking about it, or her, like that. Like I said, I don't love her. At all. It's political."

"Political," she repeated. "Just a game the royals play."

He glared. "Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?"

"Like I'm a liar," he spat.

"Your words, not mine."

He huffed. "I didn't lie to you, Astrid. I love you, but like it or not there's nothing I can do about Heather. "You won't be Queen. You can't."

Astrid sucked in her next breath. Their time together suddenly felt fake, a ruse, a game to pass the time. She felt more like a useable whore than before.

"Come on, I'll show you to Heather's room," Hiccup said.

He reached for her arm; she wrenched it away.

"I'll find it myself," she said, and stomped toward the door. She yanked it open and stormed into the corridor.

Hiccup didn't follow.

Astrid knew where Heather's room was, she had seen the corridor when the girls first arrived. She didn't go there straightway, and instead detoured into an empty guest room. White sheets covered the furniture and dust glittered in the still air, lit by the window's light. Astrid closed the door behind her and collapsed onto the floor.

She should have known better. She told herself over and over that she and Hiccup could be nothing more than friends, than passive lovers. They could not marry. They would never be. He would be King, a public figure. She would remain a lowly servant, dusty his portraits and filling his bath. She would work until her fingers shook and unless another servant found pity on her, she would be turned out onto the streets. There, she would die in some dark alley, starved and half-mad. Hiccup would die in his castle, surrounded by the comfort and luxury that he's accustomed to.

Before Hiccup, she'd hoped to find some other servant and marry, have children that would support them in their old age, as she intended to do with her parents, as her father had done with her grandmother before she was born. With her reputation, no decent boy would look twice at her, probably not even more, and snicker at the idea of marring the prince's used nursemaid.

All of these ugly thoughts left her feeling useless, overwhelmed by a dreadful sense of worthlessness, accompanied by a bleak future. She wouldn't mind staying in this room until she died. They would discover her later, years later, and have the unfortunate task of removing her bones from the room.

She refused to cry, even in the dead presence of the sheets. No, she would go to Heather's room. Later she would consider her own bleak options.

Heather's room bustled. Astrid's hand hovered over the wooden door for a moment before she knocked, listening to the commotion of talking and laughing and rustle of fabric. The Queen herself opened the door, none surprised to see Astrid standing on the threshold.

"Well, it is about time," the Queen said. She yanked Astrid into the room. "We've been waiting."

Heather sat in a puffy armchair holding a glass of red wine. Her dark hair twisted up in a voluminous wave. A white dress hung on the armoire's door. A sharp-looking woman pointed a purple finger nail at Astrid. "Is this the girl?"

"Yes," Heather spoke up. She sipped her wine. Those pale green eyes settled on Astrid. "You're the model for the dress. I don't want to get poked."

"Come on," the Queen said, shooing Astrid toward the dress. "No time to waste."

Astrid changed out of her servant's dress. With the help of the dressmaker and under the scrutiny of the Queen and Heather, she slipped into the unfinished white dress. The dressmaker instructed her to step onto a stool, and then proceeded to pin material here and there with sharp little jabs of pins she held in her mouth, while talking to Heather.

"I want a fitted bodice," Heather said, looking at Astrid with a strange sort of clinical stare. "And a full skirt, but not so fluffy that I can't walk. I don't want to look fat."

With her instructions, the dressmaker pinned and talked, giving details about what the dress could look like, the sort of beading she could do, and the lace she could add, without the mention of price or labor. Of course, there is no budget in a royal wedding.

Astrid kept still, biting on her cheek to keep from yelping at the subtle pinpricks. She understood why Heather didn't want to wear the dress. She stood for what felt like a day, even though the clock read before noon, when finally, the dressmaker stopped. The dress looked somewhat finished, as least more like a wedding dress than it had before. The neckline had been pinned down and the bodice tightened.

In the mirror, she looked like a bride. She looked like the bride she'd never be.

"It's going to look fantastic," Heather said, wine glass empty.

The queen agreed. "I am so glad you decided against wearing my old dress. This one will look better on you."

"Not that yours wasn't attractive," Heather added.

"Outdated," The Queen murmured.

"Exactly," Heather said. She tipped the empty glass against her lips, not drinking, but toying with the rim with her white teeth, eyeballing the dress on Astrid. "What do you think about a sash?"

"What color?"

"I'm not sure."

"Oh, there are plenty of options," the dressmaker said. "I can bring a varied set of samples on our next visit."

"Please do," Heather said.

The Queen stepped toward the door. "I must see if the servants have prepared the lounge for lunch."

She yanked the door open, took a step into the hall, and stopped with a gasp on her lips.

"Hiccup? What are you doing here?"

"Nothing," Hiccup said immediately from the hallway." I-I was just, uh, waiting. I made lunch plans."

Heather looked sideways at the door, then at Astrid. She added to the conversation, "With whom?"

The Queen stepped back as Hiccup leaned into the room. He said, "Astrid."

Astrid met his gaze. He stood stiff in the door, lips parted, eyes unblinking. It took a moment to realize why – she wore Heather's wedding dress. It didn't quite look like a dress fit for a future Queen, but it was a wedding dress nonetheless.

Astrid broke away from his eyes.

"She'll be right with you," Heather said. She set her wine glass on the short table and stood.

Hiccup lingered in the door. The Queen motioned him out after a moment, and shut the door.

Heather and the dressmaker carefully helped Astrid out of the pinned dress.

"You're not bleeding," Heather said, rolling her clinical stare over Astrid's bare skin. "During the first fitting for one of my ball gowns we had to stare over from scratch because I'd bled on the material."

"That's shoddy workmanship," the dressmaker added. "Who was the tailor?"

"Simons."

The dressmaker laughed. "Of course. That doesn't surprise me. He only cares about getting things done, not done right."

Heather handed Astrid her clothes as the dressmaker carefully wrapped the unfinished dress. With farewells and well-wishes, she left.

"She's staying at the castle until the wedding is over," Heather said, shutting the door. "Better to watch her work. So, same time next week?"

Astrid nodded. "Of course."

Heather grinned. "Like you could say no, right?"

Astrid glared at Heather.

Heather took a step backward, palms exposed, but a sly grin on her lips. "Let's not fight. I'd like to think of you as a sister."

"A sister that shares your husband?"

Heather shrugged. "Stranger things have happened. The next however many years of our lives would roll much better if we didn't hate each other."

Astrid held her tongue. Heather wasn't wrong, but she'd rather not be friends with her lover's wife. It felt wrong and sounded disgusting.

"My presence doesn't bother you?" Astrid said.

Heather smiled. "Not as much as you might think it does."

Astrid let out a low laugh. "Your future husband's concubine is trying on your wedding dress. That doesn't bother you?"

Heather stepped up to Astrid and snaked her arms around her waist. Heather pulled her closer, and pressed her lips against Astrid's cheek. She kissed her sweetly, and then whispered into her ear, "Just between you and me, I don't like boys."

Heather's fingertips trail along Astrid's bare shoulder blades. She clutched her clothes against her chest as a shiver ran down her spine. Heather flattened her palms on Astrid's hips.

"That's why you'd be sleeping in the middle," Heather whispered. "And I wouldn't be upset if you had his children. Not that I dislike sex with men, but, I'd rather not."

Heather released Astrid, trailing her nails along her waist.

"Get dressed," Heather said. "Your prince is waiting."

Astrid dressed, but her hands shook. Heather toyed with her wind glass, refilling it partially full. Dressed, Astrid went to the door without glancing at the other girl. She opened the door and shut it behind her.

Hiccup stood right outside, leaning against the wall. At the sight of her he popped back onto his feet.

"Astrid," he said. "Look, I-I just…I'm sorry about this morning. I've got a picnic ready to go. Just the two of us. I thought we'd…are you alright?"

Her face felt warm. "I'm fine. Just, hungry. A picnic sounds great."

His worried face broke into a smile. He reached for her hand. "Great. I've got a great surprise for you."

Hiccup led Astrid through the castle and up several staircases, some of which were so narrow she didn't remember them before. It looked like a servants' passage, narrow and void of decorations, only she had never been through it before. Finally, he led her into a tower that rose up and up to the very top. The four stone walls were punctured by thick windows on three two sides, looking over the grounds.

Astrid knew the tower at once. She'd seen it from the grounds.

"It was a sentry's post, I think, but there's not really a need to watch the grounds, unless we're expecting a bird rebellion or something," Hiccup said.

"I can see straight to the horizon," she said, looking at the gently rolling of the hilly grounds.

Hiccup stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her middle. He set his lips next to her ear. "I used to come up here when I didn't think I could take it anymore. The rules, the guards, the regulations, my entire life planned out from start to finish, and I wasn't measuring up to the prince that my dad wanted. I spent three days up here once. I wanted my dad to think I'd run away. He was furious when someone found me. I thought he might hit me, but he didn't. I'd just disappointed him more."

"I remember that," Astrid said. "I remember everyone being panicked."

"I was maybe ten."

"I was washing sheets," Astrid said. "I didn't get to hear the gossip of the castle. But I remember everyone talking about the missing prince, and how Snotlout would be heir if Hiccup didn't show up."

Hiccup chuckled and buried his mouth against her neck.

"No one was as keen on that idea," Astrid said, tipping her head to the side to give him a better angle. "The servants didn't like you, but they hated Snotlout more."

He laughed. His response came as teeth against her skin, nibbling the spot he'd found beneath her ear. His hands stroked the neckline of her dress, pulling from the ties as he kissed his way down her shoulder, along her neck.

The picnic lunch would wait. Hands tangled and untied, clothes fell to the floor, and lips kisses. Astrid buried her hands in his hair as he made love to her, whispering his love in her ear, gasping her name on each trembling breath.

The sun glowed in from the windows, turning the dusty tower air into misty gold. Astrid laid in Hiccup's arms, bare skin against his, lunch spread out in front of them. They snuck kissed between bites.

"Regardless of what happens," Hiccup said. "I will be with you. No matter what legal or political nonsense I have to deal with, I love you, Astrid. No one else. I don't care what people say or think or claim. You are the one I want. I want to share my life with you. I want to be with you."

"I want to be with you," she said. "I don't want to share you with anyone else."

"You won't," he said.

He kissed her. She held onto him, unsure of what anything meant. All that mattered in that moment was him.


	34. Chapter 34

A/N – Here we are, gang. The end. It's been a great ride writing and reading your reviews! You all make writing beyond worth it. You're all amazing. Beyond amazing. I look forward to hearing from you in the next story!

This chapter is a little longer than most, but I said there'd be one more chapter, so it's all in this one. Enjoy!

X

**Chapter 34**

A few early autumn-turned leaves hit the window of Hiccup's bedroom, _tap_, _tap_, _tap_. The soft, organized commotion of the royal grounds drifted inside; Astrid couldn't hear much of it over the sounds that she and Hiccup made, as they frolicked in his bed for the last time before Princess Heather Haddock would enter their lives.

Astrid held him firm, not meaning to, but digging her nails into his shoulders.

Hiccup held her close, moaning her name in her ear, while his royal garb hung on the bedpost, rocking with the motions.

"Astrid," came his voice, a hot breath in her ear.

She gripped him harder.

She didn't want this to be over, not this moment, not them. She wanted to stay in bed with him forever, in the heat of passionate sex, even though she craved her own end, his end and shattering gasp of ecstasy in her ear, her name on the tip of his tongue.

He came; he began to pull himself out but she wrapped her legs around his waist. He didn't argue, but looked up at her, panting, breathless, sweat shimmering on his chest and along his collarbone. His eyes questioned, concerned for her, for them. He'd looked at her like that all morning.

"You're mine," she told him.

He nodded. He kissed her temple, then her cheekbone, and finally her lips. "I always will be."

Astrid lingered as long as she could, as did Hiccup. Soon a member of Heather's bridal team, those designated to do her bidding for the duration of the wedding and most likely follow her around after, came to Hiccup's room looking for Astrid.

"Lady Heather requires your presence," the middle-aged woman said.

Astrid took one last look at Hiccup, in his day clothes, soon to change into his groom's suit. He gave her a warm smile.

"See you in a bit," he said.

"See you," she said.

Astrid followed the middle-aged woman to Heather's bridal suite, a room three times as large of her previous room. Heather's hair had been pinned into exact curls and left to dry on her head. She sat on a stool by the window, draped in sunlight, wearing a thin robe. A woman with garish fingernails painted her face with an array of brushes. Her white dress hung on its own stand in the corner.

"There you are," Heather said, barely moving her lips. "This is Cara."

Astrid blinked; another girl, maybe 18, maybe a few years older, sat cross-legged on an ottoman. She wore her hair in less elaborate curlers. Her makeup had already been done up, less extravagant than Heather.

Cara smiled, an awkward forced smile. "Hello."

"Hi," Astrid said.

"Cara, be a dear and make sure Astrid's dress fits," Heather said.

Cara stood without an answer. She motioned Astrid into the other side of the room, on the other side of a dainty partition. Two floor-length dresses hung.

"This is yours," Cara said, fingering one dress.

"For what?" Astrid asked.

Cara blinked at her. "Bridesmaid."

"What?" Astrid shook her head. "I'm not a-"

"Yes you are," Heather chimed from the other room. "I thought I told you. I might have told Hiccup. It's hard to keep track. I assume you two tell each other everything. Or, I might have told his mother…the past few days are a complete blur."

Astrid looked back at the red dress. Simple, but elegant. Cara's dress looked impossibly small; Cara herself, on second glance, looked small.

Cara helped Astrid into the dress.

"It fits," Cara said as she buttoned it with clumsy hands.

"Good," Heather said from the other side. "She fit into my dress so I thought we'd be about the same size."

The dress had fit, however they had not known her shoe size, so five pairs of the same shoe waited for her.

Astrid joined Cara on the ottoman, waited for her turn to have her hair pinned, sprayed, tweaked, and sprayed into a stiffness she didn't think possible. The woman painted her face, too, and it felt like mud slathered on to her skin.

She assumed she would watch Hiccup marry from a servant's distance, like the others. She had not, even in a daydream, anticipated watching it from a bridesmaid's distance. She would be close enough to touch him.

The time slid by. The sun ticked across the sky over Berk, and soon Astrid followed Heather and Cara down into a parlor just off the grounds, escorted by a large number of guards. The windows had been blocked by screens, but the crowd outside could be heard. Hundreds of people. Several more royal guards, with their boots shined, entered the room.

Astrid's heart beat out of her chest, into her throat, and threatened to plop out onto the floor along with the contents of her stomach.

Heather reached for Astrid's arm. She eased her arm into hers. Heather smiled. "Relax. It's my wedding. I'm supposed to be the one sick to my stomach."

Astrid steeled herself.

After a moment that seem utterly too long, a horn sounded outside. The crowd silenced.

Astrid wouldn't remember the strings in the air, or the smell of greenhouse grown wildflowers, but she would remember the feeling of walking down the aisle first – toward Hiccup. He looked as surprised as she felt, and didn't take his eyes off of her until she stood beside the altar.

Cara followed and stood beside her, closer to the altar. With a triumph blow of the horn, the crowd stood. The guard assembled. A white gleam – Heather – appeared in the parlor doorway.

Heather began her saunter down the aisle.

Astrid took a deep breath. All eyes were on Heather. Astrid glanced over the crowd. Many faces she had seen at the castle, many more she had not. Several looked foreign, guests, no doubt, here to marvel at the ceremony. More political nonsense.

Several faces, Astrid realized as she looked, were not looking at Heather. They were looking about, at each other, toward the castle, like they were waiting.

Astrid's skin crawled. Her stomach felt more like emptying itself than it had before.

A face near the front turned back to face the altar as Heather neared, and Astrid's stomach fliped. Dagur. He sat with a stone's toss of Hiccup.

No. Dagur looked too smug. He raised a hand to his head, as if to scratch, and as he held his thumb to his ear, he flattened out his fingers.

Astrid's stomach squeezed. A glint above caught her attention – a glint from the tower.

He'd sent a signal.

Astrid shoved Cara aside. Gasps rushed over the crowd. Cara said a very unladylike word as she hit the ground. A guard drew his blade.

Heather moved, confused, and Astrid slammed his body into Hiccup's. As they tumbled from the altar, the air between them moved. The gasps turned into cries; Hiccup cried out from under Astrid's weight.

An arrow pierced his left leg. Had he stood where he'd been standing, it would have gone much higher.

Guards drew swords. Spitelout shouted an unintelligible command. The crowd's screams rose as Berserkers flooded from the forest behind the wedding, swords drawn, war cry on the air.

"Get those people out!" Spitelout shouted.

"Hiccup?" Astrid called to him. His face had gone dangerously white. Blood seeped onto his pant leg, onto her dress, onto the ground. "Hiccup?"

His glazy eyes found her, but could not hold her in focus.

"Hiccup!"

Swords clashed on the royal grounds as guards flooded from the castle to meet the incoming army. The crowd ran into the castle through the parlor doors. Guards descended over the altar and grabbed Heather and Cara. They circled Hiccup as the battle raged. Someone tried to grab Astrid, tried to pull her away, but she refused.

"I'm staying with him!" She grabbed handfuls of his soft shirt.

None of them argued. Hiccup lost consciousness and one of the guards picked him up. Astrid followed right behind him, with a guard on either side of her, into the castle through a side door that blended in with the stone around it. It shut immediately behind them. They went downward and through dusty, narrow corridors. They ended up in a windowless room.

The guard set Hiccup down on a long table. One guard vanished and returned shortly with Gothi, who looked as though she'd been woken from a nap, and a handful of servants. Astrid watched with a sick stomach as Gothi snapped the arrow and withdrew it from Hiccup's leg.

Footsteps thundered down the outside corridor and each guard tensed. Those by the door readied their weapons to strike.

Mumbled voices echoed down, one of which belonged to King Stoick, the other to the Queen.

"No, you go with the girls," Stoick said outside the door.

The King entered. He looked harassed. At the sight of his son, his face blanched. "No, he's not…"

Gothi didn't answer. The servant standing beside her spoke, "He's alive, Sir."

Time stood still. Astrid sat down on the dusty floor, not minding if the dress got dirty or ruined. She didn't care. Stoick paced. Astrid held her hands over her ears to block the sounds they made as they worked on Hiccup, gut-wrenching sounds of impromptu surgery.

Astrid dropped her head into her arms after a while.

"Astrid," Stoick's voice called.

She looked up; he stood in front of her.

"Sir?"

"Why don't you go into the other room? Heather and her friend are in there. It's more suited for comfort," he said.

She shook her head. "I'm staying with Hiccup."

Stoick didn't say anything right away. He looked down at her, eyes weary and worried, and then he nodded. "Alright."

King Stoick, a man of merit and respect, sat on the dirty floor beside Astrid. He laced his large fingers together and twiddled his thumbs, and after a long moment he said, "Thank you. You saved my son's life today."

"He's still hurt."

"But he's not dead. If you hadn't acted, that arrow might have gone through his heart, and if it had, he wouldn't have made it off the altar."

Astrid picked at the fine material of her dress. The blood blended in. Hiccup's blood. "He would have done the same for me."

"I don't doubt that," Stoick said. He sighed. "I know it doesn't seem fair. A lot in life never does."

"But why not change it?" Astrid turned to look at him. "You can change rules to make them better for everyone."

Stoick nodded, but didn't speak.

Astrid rested her head back into her arms. She heard nothing of what was happening outside the castle and it relieved and worried her. It felt unreal. Without sound, the battle might never have happened, except for the smell of Hiccup's blood on the air. It worried her that it might be worsening, that the kingdom might be in dire need, and that there was little to nothing she could do about it. There'd never been anything she could do about it.

"He's coming around," someone said. One of the servants.

Astrid didn't look up until she heard his voice, groggy and sedated, "Astrid?"

She jumped to her feet, tripping on her dress on the way to the table. She didn't look at the bloodied side of the table where Gothi and her helpers stood.

"Hey," Hiccup said, half conscious and drifting between.

"Hey," she said. His hand twitched and she grabbed it.

Stoick appeared beside her. He addressed Gothi. "What's the status?"

"He'll live," the servant with her said. "The foot, however, was beyond our repair."

Astrid blinked and looked. Her heart sank. Where Hiccup's foot should have been, was a wrapped, bandaged, and bloodied stump. Gone. The entire foot.

"It stuck the bone and too much else to be healed. He'd have trouble with it the rest of his life," said the servant, as Gothi scribbled on a notepad in front of him.

"And he won't now?" Stoick asked, anger rising in his voice.

"Not as much."

Gothi wrote something else.

The servant read, "If we've have left it, he would've limped for years. The foot would've had to be removed later. It's easier now. Hearty? Oh, Healthier, sorry."

Stoick grumbled under his breath. "Fine."

Astrid couldn't take her eyes from the bandaged leg that ended abruptly. Blood was about to seep through it.

Hiccup had fallen back into a painless sleep. She stroked his hand.

Footsteps thundered in the corridor again, and like before the guards prepared to attack. A man called, and at the sound of his voice the guards lowered their swords. A guard entered, a highly ranked officer, and he bowed slightly to Stoick.

"Well?" Stoick barked. "You're alive. It's over?"

"Yes," the officer said. "There outnumbered us for a short time, hoping to take us by surprise. The arrow came from the tower. A Berserker had been hiding out up there for several days, it looked. They're all either dead or in chains."

"And Dagur?"

"Chains, unfortunately."

Stoick huffed. "It's better that way. If he died on our soil the entire Berserker armada would have been on our shores ready to skin us all."

"Spitelout is commanding the grounds. What shall we do with Dagur and his surviving men?"

Stoick thought; and sighed. "Imprison them all for now. We can't kill him without inciting a war. We'll have to send him home, but we'll threaten first. Make sure he knows he lost. He's not welcome back."

"Yes, Sir," said the officer. He bowed lower than before and headed back down the corridor, heels clicking on the floor.

Stoick walked back to the table where Hiccup lay. He lifted his arm, hesitated, retracted it back to his side, then reached out and set a hand on Astrid's shoulder.

"He'll be alright," he said.

Yes, he would. Astrid held onto his limp hand.

X

Astrid walked beside Hiccup as they entered the council chamber's door. Stoick walked a few steps ahead, but not too fast.

Hiccup stumbled. Astrid tightened her grip on him and kept him upright.

He smiled at her, weakly. He glanced down at the new prosthetic. "Stupid leg."

"You're doing better," Astrid said.

He sighed. "Yeah. I haven't fallen in nearly, what, ten steps?"

"It's been at least a corridor and a half."

He smiled at her. "Thanks."

He squeezed her hand, and then let go. Astrid made sure he could stand on his own, and walked back out through the large doors. They shut behind her, and the guards took up their stand outside.

She waited for nearly an hour, too long for her, and when the doors finally opened, Hiccup walked out on his own. She could see the strain in his face with each step, even if no one else could. At once she ran to his side, and he gladly leaned into her.

"Well?" Astrid asked. "How did it go?"

He sighed and shook his head. "Halfway done. Now it's time to address the kingdom, my favorite part of my life."

"And we're already running behind schedule," Stoick said, walking past Hiccup. "People are impatient."

"Right," Hiccup said, gesturing to his father.

Hiccup refused to do anything but walk, no rides, no wheeled chairs, no nothing. He would walk. He leaned on Astrid most of the way to the front of the castle, where a crowd had gathered for the King's Address. Stoick followed a number of guards to the small stage, and Astrid helped Hiccup after.

"Good people of Berk," Stoick began, "Today my son walks."

Cheers erupted across the large crowd, and took a moment to die down.

Hiccup half-laughed to Astrid, "If I didn't know any better, I'd think they liked me."

"The Berserker threat is not gone, it may never leave, but we have survived the Berserkers before, and will continue to survive. In light of recent events, my son and I have convened, and we have come to a decision. I know many of you were and are upset about the royal wedding. I tell you now that there will be no wedding."

Uncertainty ran along the crowd.

Stoick continued, "But, since this is my son's first act in the kingdom, I will him take the stand."

Hiccup, for a moment didn't move. He looked at his dad with wide, confused eyes.

"Go ahead, Son," Stoick said, motioning forward. "This was your idea. You get to unveil it to the kingdom."

Hiccup swallowed. His entire throat moved. With Astrid's help, he stepped up to the podium, looking small compared to his father.

"Yes, we are not rescheduling the wedding, because like my father said, there's not going to be a wedding," Hiccup said. He tapped his fingers on the podium. "We talked it over and decided that it is better that way. Heather and I get along, but we aren't meant to be together.

"She would have made a great queen. She has a quick wit and strong mind, which is why I have added her to the staff as the Grand Advisor. She will, upon my mother's retirement, take up her duties as the Queen would, only she will not be the queen. That title will go to whoever I choose as my wife."

Hiccup squeezed Astrid's hand.

"I know that many in the kingdom have negative thoughts about Astrid," Hiccup said, and to hear her own name spoken sent a shiver down her nerves. She knew eyes pinned on her, but she kept her own averted. "You know about her, her name, her hair color, but you don't know her like I do. She's an amazing person. I mean, she's changed me for the better. She taught me things that I didn't know before: compassion, understanding, love."

"She will be your queen, and I ask you now to treat her as you would royalty. She deserves much more than that, more than any human could possibly give, but I ask that you try."

Astrid felt the world move beneath her feet. It shifted and swayed. If not for his hand holding hers, she would be on the ground.

Somehow, between his limp and her flighty feeling, they walked back into the castle without falling or running into anything or anyone. Stoick stopped them in the foyer.

"Do you mean those words, Hiccup?" he asked.

"Yes," he said. He pulled on Astrid's hand. "I know that wasn't the best proposal, if I would've planned it better there might have been some flowers, maybe some wine, and not so many people, but, uh, Astrid? Would you marry me anyway?"

She couldn't speak. She flung her arms around him and held him tight enough to keep him standing upright.

"I'll take that as a yes?"

She half-laughed, words caught in her throat. "Of course it is."

He hugged her back.

X

On a cool autumn day, in a sunny parlor in the castle, Astrid stood in the simple white dress that she, her mother, and Heather had chosen. Heather, it seemed, when not trying to cause her demise, wasn't so bad after all.

Few people had been invited to the private ceremony. Ingrid hugged Astrid before she went into the grounds. Alistair stood in the parlor, dressed in a fine suit. The ceremony began with the sound of a horn; the doors opened and Astrid hung her shaking arm on her father's.

Hiccup stood at the end of the short isle, on the other side of the small crowd, but Astrid saw nothing and no one but him. He wore the green suit that she liked.

Alistair held onto Astrid's hand and squeezed it between both of his before he placed it into Hiccup's.

"You take care of her," Alistair said to Hiccup.

"I will," Hiccup said with a nod. He grinned and added, "Dad."

Alistair half-laughed and walked to sit beside Ingrid. On the other side of the Isle, Stoick sat between Valka, whose hand he held, and the Queen, who wore less tall hair. On her other side sat Spitelout and Snotlout, both dressed in royal attire. Behind Astrid's parents Heather sat with Cara, whose hand she held on her lap.

Toothless sat in his own chair, a tiny bow tie around his neck, tail swishing back and forth.

The officiate, a council man and friend of Stoick's, stood between them and cleared his throat.

"We are gathered her to witness the union of these two souls," he spoke. "But no words written by anyone else could measure to those felt, and those prepared by these two for the other."

Hiccup released Astrid's hand to reached into his pocket; he withdrew a folded piece of paper. He unfolded it and read softly, so that only Astrid could hear.

"You know I love you," he said. "I always will. No matter what happens, if we go senile and insane, or how sick, or anything else. You're the one I want to share my life with, Astrid, I want to wake up beside you. I want to share a family with you. I can't imagine a world without you. I will be there for you, always. Forever."

"Hiccup," Astrid said. "I tried to write down my thoughts about you several times, but it never felt good enough. I can't write down the words. There are no words good enough to express how I feel about you. I love you more than I thought I could love anyone. I can't imagine being with anyone else. I can't imagine living without you. I can't go back to my old with; I need you. I need to be with you, to see you, to hear your voice, to touch you. I love you, and I always will. Forever."

She bit back the water along her lids; Hiccup's shimmered, too.

"Beautiful," said the officiate. "With these vows exchanged, with the power vested in me by the Kingdom of Berk, I pronounce you husband and wife. You may now-"

Hiccup grabbed Astrid and pulled her into a warm kiss before the words left the officiate's mouth. A few people lightly laughed. One, who Astrid suspected sat in the front, whistled. He broke the kiss, but did not let her go. He held her close and she wrapped her arms around him, her husband.

"I announce, for the first time anywhere, Prince Hiccup Haddock III and Princess Astrid Haddock."

Applause, although small, rang through the grounds.

Astrid found Hiccup's eyes. She had him forever; her husband, her Prince, her future King. Princess. Never in her wildest dreams had that thought entered her mind as a child. Even as she shared Hiccup's bed, the idea that she could be a Princess didn't come. Yet, here she stood, royal by marriage.

Hiccup took her by the hand and led her back down the aisle amidst the shower of birdseed as thrown by the guests, and into the parlor and Grand Ball Room where the reception would be housed. Photographers snapped the scene, to be viewed by all of Berk, and for once, Astrid didn't mind.


End file.
